Didn't Capture the Hearts of Both
by Fai7hl3ss
Summary: I put Chapter 11 up, and you're going to have to read the A/N to catch what's going on. R/R
1. The First Child

Didn't Capture the Hearts of Both  
  
  
  
~**Garnet's POV**~  
  
The look in his eyes was painful, yet I didn't want to break the gaze; for all I knew, it could have been the last time I could get lost in it. He knew that I didn't want him to go, but I also knew that he had to. There was no way around it, no matter how hard I fought. It was just a battle I was waiting to lose; it was a battle that neither one of us wanted to happen.  
  
"Why can't I go with you?" I asked softly, as I felt hot tears build up in my eyes. Even now my voice was starting to crack as I spoke.  
  
"Dagger, this is something I have to do on my own," he replied softly, never breaking the gaze, too afraid to look away from my eyes. I could sense he knew that this was dangerous, but he wasn't turning his back; not now, not ever.  
  
It just didn't make sense to me. Why would he go back to save Kuja? After all the things that he has done to try to hurt, kill, destroy, and pain us, he's still going back to save him. Every time I thought of this, a new flare of anger washed through me. I hated Kuja, and I always will. He's done more than I can ever think of to hurt me, and everyone knew it. Eiko knew it; Vivi, Steiner, Beatrix, Amarant, Freya, and Quina knew this; finally, Zidane knew this. He knew better than anyone else does because Kuja gave him extreme amounts of pain. Not as much as Garland, but a lot, none the less.  
  
Zidane knew what I was thinking because the hatred for Kuja flashed in my eyes again. A long sigh escaped his lips as he kept staring at me. I loved that stare, and I wanted to be lost in that stare forever, but I couldn't no matter how hard I tried. He stroked my cheek gently with his thumb as a lone tear slid past my eyelid.  
  
"Promise me you'll come back," I pleaded. It was the last thing I could do.  
  
"I promise I'll return to you, Dagger." It was all I needed to hear. He hand slowly left my face and he backed up. I never looked away from his eyes; their power was too strong and too effective on me. He bowed his head as Steiner quietly ushered me to the airship.  
  
I wanted to still see him, even as I flew away; I wanted to still be lost in his gaze. Maybe it was my last chance, so I had to take it. As the airship was slowly lifting off the ground, I ran to the edge and looked down upon Zidane. Once again our eyes met and neither one of us looked away. My hair was blowing over my face, but because of the new length, it never got in the way of my eyes.  
  
His expression was sad, as if he was slowly regretting the decision that he had just made. I wanted to jump from the ship into his arms, but I didn't move. All I did was slowly mouth good-bye as he finally left my view.  
  
I backed away from the railing and slumped to my knees. Tears streamed down my face as I held back a sob. Even though I had just left him it stabbed me like daggers. I wanted to be with him again, and what made it worse was the fact that I didn't know if I would ever see him again. It hurt, and I cried.  
  
"I'm all alone now…" I whispered to myself as I pounded on the wooden floor with frustration. I bit my lower lip and felt weak and worthless. I started to tremble as I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I cried my heart out. Not even Steiner wanted to disturb me in my state, but one approached me carefully.  
  
The steps were so light and so small; I could barely hear them. When they finally approached me, I didn't look up. Eiko knelt down in front of me and looked into my tear filled eyes. She gave me a soft smile and rested her hand on my stomach.  
  
A white aura surrounded her as she closed her eyes and concentrated hard on something. I didn't know what she was doing, but she soon smiled and looked at me when the aura was gone. Her eyes flashed a bright shade of green as she took her hand away from my stomach. They eventually went back to their normal sky blue color and that was when she told me.  
  
"You said you're now alone, right?" I didn't know how she heard me, but before I could ask she placed my hand on my stomach and kept speaking. "As long as she's with you, Dagger, you'll always have Zidane with you. With her you will never be alone. Never, Dagger…"  
  
I clutched my hands to my stomach in disbelief. For the rest of the night I over looked the land hoping my prayers would bring Zidane home to me…  
  
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~**Seven Years Later**~  
  
"Princess Jade Til Alexandros the 18th, come here right now!" yelled Steiner as the little princess ran through the castle with a very large armor clad man running after her. She let out a small laugh and ran faster down the hallway. She was a very young child who was filled with all the happiness that the world could provide. Even though she had grown up with a single mother who had several suitors, she never acted as if she wasn't happy, but secretly she would hum to herself the song that her mother had taught her.  
  
She was fairly tall for her age and she already had long flowing chocolate brown hair that cascaded down her back. It was streaked with strips of golden honey that would shine as brightly as the sun in the middle of summer. A thin ivory horn poked out of her forehead, and a small, light brown tail slithered out from her backside. Her eyes were dazzling green, "Like your father's," her mother would say.  
  
She was the exact mixture of her mother and her father, or so everyone told her. She was already seven years of age, and unlike other children she knew, she never met her father. Queen Garnet would tell her all about her adventures with Zidane as a bedtime story. Although Jade loved these stories, she secretly disliked her father because of some of the things her mother talked about, especially the time in Pandemonium. Jade hated to see her mother cry herself to sleep wishing for her father, and every time she saw this, it only made her dislike him more.  
  
Steiner would often explain to her how noble her father really was, but he could tell she still was angry with him. She even tried cutting off her tail to rid herself of his trait, but General Beatrix and Garnet stopped before she could cut it off with a simple dagger.  
  
'I hate him! Why did he leave us, Mommy? Tell me why!' she had demanded of her mother. Garnet was only horror struck as she fell back into a chair. 'Marry someone else who is here to rule the kingdom, to take care of the castle, and to take care of you… Why can't you move on?' After she had said that, she wished she hadn't. The look on Garnet's face pained Jade and Beatrix alike. Garnet's dark eyes clouded over, and tears spilled over, running down her cheeks. Garnet stood up and walked toward the door. Before she left the room, she said one thing coldly to her daughter.  
  
'I can't let go because I love him. I always have, and I refuse to let some cocky noble rule over my kingdom. I'd rather die alone than o have someone else take his place.' And with that the door was shut.  
  
This event had taken place a year ago, but that had nothing to deal with Jade's current situation. She continued to run down the stairs and into the kitchen laughing all the way. Several people were preparing for the big feast that was going to be held that night. She dodged around people with great skill like a thief, unlike Steiner who was not quite as successful.  
  
Jade jumped up and latched her brown tail onto a pole hanging above Steiner's head. He would have run by if he didn't heat her childish giggles coming from above him. He looked up at her and let out a small sigh. She swung happily while holding on to her dress so that it wouldn't fall over her head. She gave him a broad smile as he grabbed her down from the pole.  
  
"Princess, you really shouldn't run around the castle like that, especially when everyone is preparing for the big feast tonight. Your mother would have a fit if you ruined your dress. Now go see Beatrix and your mother so you can get ready for the play," He said as he placed her on the ground pushing her in the general direction of her chamber. Jade looked over her shoulder and then quickly ran off to go visit her mother.  
  
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~**Jade's POV**~  
  
I ran throughout the hallways going back toward my mother's room. Steiner was ruining my fun, so I guess it's better that he just let me go get ready for the play. I didn't see why it was such a big fuss in all of Alexandria! It was just some play that we go to see every year, it's not like it's Christmas or anything like that. Still, my mother wanted to see it year after year ever since I was born.  
  
I brushed a few loose strands of hair out of my eyes as I finally reached the big doors to my mother's room. I reached up and pulled them open with a slight struggle, but it was fairly easy after I got it open a crack. I heard my mother and Beatrix talking through the door about something. I didn't get to pick up on much of the conversation, but it was clear what they were talking about as soon as I stepped into the room.  
  
"But mother ran it well by herself!" my mother protested. "Why can't I do the same?! All the men I have been with after my adventure only came after me for my land or my money. They aren't worthy to help me rule MY kingdom! Why do you treat me as if I'm still just a child?!"  
  
"It just works so much better with two people," Beatrix finished.   
  
"Do you think I can't run Alexandria by myself?"  
  
"I never said anything of the sort-"  
  
"You do, don't you? You and Steiner both think that I can't handle the Kingdom, don't you?!" By this time I could tell my mother was outraged. I always knew about how she thought that Steiner and Beatrix deemed her unworthy, and I also knew that they were the ones behind all her previous suitors. My mother hated each one, and each one pretty much hated her.  
  
Beatrix unfolded her arms and moved closer to her. I could see my mother's eyes gloss over with tears. She was going to cry again and I hated that. I knew that it was all because of Zidane that this was happening too. If he didn't leave us, things wouldn't be like this.  
  
Mom turned away from Beatrix and wrapped her arms around her waist.  
  
"I know you're thinking of him again right now, Garnet. I can almost sense your need for him even as we speak, but you heard the news as well as I did. My Queen," Beatrix paused before she continued to speak, for what she was going to say was going to pain my mother more than anyone could imagine, and she knew it, "… Zidane is dead." I noticed that my mother stopped breathing when Beatrix finished her sentence. A violent shudder shook her body as Beatrix said those words. "You know what the rescue team said when they returned from the Iifa tree. No sign of him was found, and the whole tree was devoured by its vines. Now seven years later, you're still mourning over his death when everyone else has moved on. Even little Eiko who was close to him got over his death and has moved on. You really should-"  
  
"Damn it, Beatrix!" The yell caught me by surprise, for I had never heard my mother swear before. She slammed her hand on the windowsill as two lone tears fell onto her hand. Beatrix and I both backed up from her sudden outburst. With a cracking voice, my mother continued to speak. "You don't understand, do you? I can't move on! I just can't! No matter how hard I try, I feel myself moving away from him, and it hurts, Beatrix! It hurts… I can't live my life with someone else because they will never have what he has. Although I'm not really sure what that is at the moment, it's what made him different; it's what made him special."  
  
"Garnet, please," Beatrix pleaded softly. She knew how much pain my mother was in. I didn't know how to handle the situation, but I knew that they were unaware of my presence. Beatrix walked over to my mother and placed her hand on her shoulder. She hated to see her cry like this, especially when it was over my father. "The kingdom needs you in one piece, and right now half of you is ruling while the other half is still hoping for Zidane. The only reason why we're looking for a suitor is to make up for the part of you that isn't here." She paused thinking carefully about what she was going to say next. "It was like… he created an alter-ego when he started to call you Dagger, and that part of you stayed. That part of you misses him."  
  
"No," she began slowly. "The part of me that is Garnet, misses him. The part of me that is Dagger, loves him." She looked at mother wordlessly. "The reason why it hurts so much, Beatrix, is because I love him. It would be like you losing Steiner." I knew that sentence had to have hit Beatrix hard. She and Steiner were close; you might as well have said they were in love. My mother used this knowledge to the best of her advantage. "But that's what it is. I've lost him, and as much as I want to believe that he's dead and never coming back, I can't do it. Because of some part of me that keeps saying that he's alive and just lost, I can't let his memory go."  
  
They were always arguing about Zidane whenever I was out of hearing range. My mother was always pining over him and I could never understand why. I let out a small cough before my mother could continue to let them know that I was there.  
  
Beatrix looked at me and bowed. My mother on the other hand turned away hiding her red eyes from my vision. She was about to cry, and I knew it. I rubbed the small horn on my head while my tail fell limp at my side. I walked over to my mother and tugged on her dress slightly to get her attention. She looked over at me and gave me a wiry smile.  
  
"Beatrix, leave us please. I want to us to get ready for tonight's production," my mother said calmly as she placed a soft hand on my shoulder. I held it firmly as I looked over at Beatrix. She didn't say a word, but simply nodded and left the room with only the sound of her armor clanking.  
  
A heavy silence filled the room, and for a long while, nothing more was said….  
  
  
  
(A/N: Well what did ya think? I'm fully aware that most of this looks a lot like my fic "Still Waiting to Cheat Death" but that was the whole idea! I got the idea for this fic when I was riding home on my bus listening to the FFIX song caled, "Didn't Capture the Hearts of Both" hence the title, and my friend though it sounded cool. Most of the plot will be the same, but now we have Zidane and Dagger's little Daughter, Jade! I decided to stay with the gem idea for names, plus Jade sounds pretty. Please tell me what you think and I'll update the rest of the fic ASAP for those who really like it. Read and Review PLZ!! Good or bad, I don't care!! I just luv reviews ^.^) 


	2. The Forgotten Piece of the Biggest Puzzl...

Chapter 2: Forgotten Piece of the Biggest Puzzle  
  
  
  
  
~**Jade's POV**~  
  
I stood on my tiptoes to look out at all the people in the crowd. There were so many nobles, commoners, and people from other cities! Sure I'd seen that many people before, I did every year, but somehow this year was different. More excitement was in the air, and the people seemed to increase in number. It seemed as if something different was planned this year; it was more like something special.  
  
I placed my elbows on the windowsill and continued to look at all the people. My tail kept bumping into the chair behind me, so I eventually wrapped it neatly around my waist. My mother hated that, but I only did this when she wasn't around. I started to sing to myself my mother's song that came from… Madi Sari? Aunt Eiko told me all about her hometown that was on the lost continent, and about where my mother really came from. It was sort of a shock to me at first, but I liked the idea afterward. I had to because who couldn't love the horn on my head?  
  
I was now gazing up at the sky that shined a light blue. My father might be looking at the same sky, or he might be looking down at me from it. Either way, I still was angry with him. I wanted answers. I wanted to know where he's been all my life, and most of all I wanted to know how he felt when my mother cried for him. Did he have the same emotions that we all did? He had to if he loved my mother. What would he think of me, his only child? And what would he think of my mother's suitors? Too many questions and only one answer; if he loves my mother as much as he said, he would return to her.  
  
A light breeze washed over my face before I turned away from the window. My tail uncoiled from my waist as soon as I heard the door open. I smoothed out my dress and smiled as soon as I saw Eiko and my mother walk through the door. I quickly ran and gave Eiko a giant hug in which she returned. I was so happy to see her because she was the one that I always turned to for advice. I wanted to talk to her today about some stuff to get off my chest, but that would have to wait until the play was over.  
  
"Ah, how have you been, Jade?" Aunt Eiko asked. She looked older every time I saw her. She was now thirteen years old and had the same short purple hair that was a little bit below her chin. She wore a solid purple dress that was a little bit lighter than her hair color. Her ankle boots were the same color as her eyes, sky blue. Overall, she was a very mature looking lady for her age, and everyone in Lindblum through Alexandria loved her. She would often talk to my mother about any new discoveries with the "summons"; I forget what they're called.  
  
"I've been fine. How are things in Lindblum with Uncle Cid?" I asked eagerly. Cid was a great father to Eiko and an excellent regent of Lindblum. He was close friends with my grandfather so our families always keep I touch.  
  
"Things have been really good lately and everyone is really excited for this year's play. I heard that they have a new member of Tantlantus playing this year. He'll be playing Marcus, so everyone is really excited to see how well he can act. Aren't you the least bit happy? "  
  
"Oh I am, I'm just thinking about… something right now… I'll tell you about it later."  
  
"I see. Well I'm going to go talk to Beatrix and Steiner, so I'll see you later, ok?" Eiko gave me a big hug and then walked toward the door. Before she left, she gave a reassuring smile to my mother and then disappeared into the depths of the hallways.  
  
"I remember when I used to wear that dress to occasions like these," my mother calmly stated as she smoothed out my light blue dress. She smoothed out my hair and smiled half heartedly to herself, as she looked me over. I smiled back at her after smoothing out my dress on my own. She got up and walked to her dresser. Then she looked for something inside one of the drawers. It was a small, shiny object, from what I could see, and he held it delicately as she walked back over to me. A small frown lay upon her face as she gently put it atop my head.  
  
"Your grandmother gave this to me when I attended my first play when I was your age. I guess now would be the right time to give it to you," she whispered to me as she finally adjusted the crown properly to fit my head. I fingered the sparkling object when I approached a mirror. It looked exactly like my mothers, except it was a bight gold, like my hair, instead of my mother's sparkling white crown. It was beautiful in every way, and I was surprised that my mother was giving it to me now.  
  
She approached me slowly, and then sat on the floor. Her eyes showed a sign of distance, and I could tell her mind was wandering elsewhere. I turned around to look at her, just as she covered her face with her hand. Tears slid through her fingers, and a sob escaped her lips. I rushed to her side and hugged her tightly, pleading with her to tell me what was wrong. She got like this so often that it began to frighten me.  
  
"Mommy, please tell me what's wrong!" I cried as tears of my own came from my eyes as I slowly rocked her back and forth. She held onto my hand and wept on my shoulder. If anything hurt me up to this point in my life, this would be it. I had my mother breakdown in my arms, and I not only didn't know what was wrong, I also didn't know how to stop it.  
  
"I- I just wish… You could have met her… before… b-before she passed away," my mother sobbed. She was talking about my grandmother. "She would have been… so proud of you… and maybe… she would've been p-proud of… me as well." I hugged her tighter as she continued to talk about her mother, the late queen. I never did get to know her, but I did hear all the stories before and after she met Kuja. I didn't know how I felt about her, but I loved her for the soul sake that she was my grandmother. But then… why didn't I love my father?  
  
For the first time I reflected upon my own thoughts about my father. 'No…' I said to myself. 'He left us… I'll never forgive him for that, and I won't forgive him for the pain he put Mommy through.'  
  
"It's all right, Mommy. She loves you, and I know she's proud of you. Don't doubt her or her faith in you…" She held onto me tightly as the tears in her eyes were slowly starting to dry.  
  
She looked up at me and brushed the hair out of my face with her hand and smiled. "You say you hate him," she began, "but you have no idea how much you act like him, and you act more like him every waking day…" I looked away but continued to hug her.  
  
I refused to be part of something that I've never known...  
  
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~**Beatrix's POV**~  
  
I clutched the handle of my trusty Save the Queen as I looked upon the late Queen's grave. Everyday, for the past seven years new flowers have been placed by the gravestone, and everyday Garnet, Steiner, and I paid our respects. Lately, the castle has busy with activity fir the upcoming play, so I missed a few days of visiting her Majesty's grave. Silence was all around me, as I stood alone in one of the many castle gardens.  
  
As I was about to leave, I heard footsteps coming in my general direction. I was about to unsheathe Save the Queen, but then I saw who my visitor was. Lady Eiko, as she was called now, ran toward me with a bright smile on her face and one arm waving.  
  
"Hey Beatrix!" she yelled happily as she ran a bit faster. A smile graced my face as I let my hand drop to my side. Her presence always brought happiness to the whole castle since she was so light hearted. When she finally reached me, she was panting slightly, and she brushed away a lock of hair that fell in front of her eyes.  
  
"My, you look older every year," I stated while smiling, and it was true. The horn on her head had grown and so did she. She looked like she was going on seventeen even though she had just become a teenager.  
  
"Heh, thank you. Well you look… the same!" she laughed. "So how have you and Rusty been over the past year? Either one of you thinking about marriage?" This question brought a bright red color to my cheeks as I stared at the young summoner.   
  
"Actually, marriage has never come up in a long while. You know that Steiner and I are too busy protecting the kingdom to get married. I'm too busy trying to get Garnet to marry! How can I worry about myself right now?" I was hoping that excuse would make Eiko stop asking question, but I should have known better. She can see through people like a normal person can see through a window.  
  
"Now you're just making excuses up, but be glad that they can been seen as excuses in a certain light. I'll give you and Steiner more time, heh. So how is the kingdom running? I've wanted to know from someone else's point of view besides Jade's. She seems to be so wrapped up in her hatred for Zidane that she rarely smiles anymore. Even when she does smile, I can see how it's fake. Why does she do this?"  
  
"No one really knows. She's been angry with him for as long as I can remember. I'm not even sure if she'll every get over it at one point in her life." I looked down at the ground worried because that's what I truly was. Jade was the perfect example of being a direct spawn of Zidane, but how can the spawn of something hate its creator so much when she's exactly like it?  
  
"Hopefully after today, she'll be able to forgive and Dagger will be able to smile like she used to," whispered Eiko. She stared off at the sky when she spoke, and I began to look at her puzzled. Why did she know about something that no one else had heard about? I approached her and held her arm. I needed to know what she was talking about. Certainly, no one but herself and Regent Cid must know if she's keeping it as secret as it is.  
  
"What do you mean by that? Is there something that you know that I don't?" I asked sharply. Eiko looked up at me and simply smiled as she eased her arm out of my grasp.  
  
"Beatrix, I am going to tell you something very important, but in order to have it's full effect, you need not to speak about it to neither Dagger nor Jade, ok?" I gave a slight nod and looked at her carefully. With eager ears, I listened to her tale…  
  
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~**Eiko's POV About a Year Earlier**~  
  
I dashed through the castle as I tried to find my father as quickly as possible. Many people were still in the castle even though the play has been over for about a day. I ran around everyone, making sure that I didn't knock over anyone in the process. So many nobles were still here and I wished that they would all disappear! The news I had to tell father was too important to be slowed down but a crowd of rich people.  
  
I passed a group of guards and came to the elevator that led upstairs. Before I could rush in it to go up, I crashed into a tall being and landed hard on the floor. God, that felt like running into a wall! My butt started to ache as I slowly got up and looked at the person I bumped into.  
  
"Father!" I cried out as I jumped up and floated in the air on my larger wings. "I heard something coming from the Iifa tree and I want to go see what it is! Can I go? Please, please, please, please, please, pleaseee!" I begged as I hugged his neck tightly. My mother was standing next to him looking at me in confusion. I tried my best to keep my innocent little girl smile on my face for a long time. Luckily for me, my face didn't freeze into that position before he said yes.  
  
"All right, all right! But first I want to know what you heard and why you want to go there so badly," he asked as he detached me from his neck and gently placing me on the ground. I was twelve years old, and I knew I was getting to big to do that.  
  
"While I was sleeping, I had this strange dream about this lone figure standing at the Iifa tree, and he was singing the song of Madi Sari! This seemed strange at first because as I started to float toward the figure in my dream the music only got louder, but I wasn't getting anywhere. When he finally began to turn around to look at me, the whole scene disappeared, and I woke up. But the strange thing is I always hear the song still in my ears when I wake up. And always right before the song ends, the voice always says, 'dagger.' I just want to go there to check out what my dream means!"  
  
The look on my father's face showed deep thought, as if he was trying to decode what my dream really meant. "Well," he began, "this seems like something too big for you to handle by yourself, so I'm going to send Tantlantus with you. What ever you find there, I'm sure they'll be able to take care of and carry back."  
  
"Please Eiko, just head home as soon as possible, ok?" pleaded Hilda, my mother. I nodded and quickly ran off to my room.  
  
It wasn't long before Tantlantus was aware of what was going on, and I was more than happy to see Rudy again. Over the years, she had become one of my favorite people of the group of thieves. I rushed onto the huge airship and gave her a tight hug. She returned the hug and lifted me slightly off the ground.  
  
"How are ya, hun?" she asked with a broad smile on her face. My wings gave a slight flutter as I was placed on the ground so I could answer her question.  
  
"Well, nothing much besides the dream, of course. Anything new with you?"  
  
"Not really. We all sorta settle down after the play. Ya know that, but once we all heard of ya dream, I got this strange feelin' from it. It's been six years though, so I'm not so sure." She looked over her shoulder at Blank, who was talking to my father. They all had slightly tarnished spirits over the years since Zidane disappeared. Blank and Ruby were the ones who were the most affected by it.  
  
"You're talking about Zidane, aren't you?" I asked with a slight hint of suspicion in my voice. I knew what they all were hoping because that's what I was hoping as well.  
  
"Of course I am, hun. Ya know we've all been missin' him so much. He was sorta like our backbone. We really didn't know what to do without him. Blank, more than anyone else has been hoping that the figure in ya dream was Zidane. They were like brothers, ya know?" I nodded and turned my attention toward Blank. He had already stopped the discussion with my father, but his head hung and a slight aura of depression was all around him.  
  
"Well," I started, "I'm going to see how Baku is doing and maybe I can convince him to let me stand out near the front of the ship when we get close to the Iifa tree. I'll talk to you later, ok?" Ruby smiled warmly at me as I gave her a quick, tight hug. Soon after I ran through the halls of the ship to locate Baku.  
  
When I made my first sharp turn, I crashed into something that was standing in the doorway. I landed hard on my butt and my elbows. My head was spinning and I had to hold it with one hand before I started to feel better again. Slowly looking up with blurry vision, I saw a tall, round figure that had his hand extended. He let out a loud laugh and gently lifted me to my feet.  
  
"Bwahahaha! You ok there, Lady Eiko?" Baku asked as I slowly dusted myself off. I waved my hand at him slightly, signaling that I was all right. "What was the reason for you rushing in the halls like that?"  
  
"Well I was off to find you, but I don't have to anymore, ne?" I replied with a small smile on my face.  
  
"What did you want to see me for?"  
  
"I wanted to know if I could stand near the front of the ship when we get close to our destination, but only if it's ok with you, of course." He thought about it for a while before he gave em a small pat on the head with a smile.  
  
"Sure you can, Eiko. Just don't fall off, bwahahaha!" I smiled again and then ran off to my room. I needed rest before we left for our destination. I knew that whatever we were going to find, it was going to make a difference. Maybe not to most people, but to those select few, it would fill their hearts with joy…  



	3. His Return

~**Eiko's POV, Same Year**~  
  
I leaned against the railing as a soft breeze swept across my face. I was gazing up at the starry sky above thinking about anything that would happen to pass through my mind. So far I hadn't been able to sleep, so the song never came to me. Baku was steering the ship while everyone else was either sleeping or doing their own thing. Ruby went to bed a while before, and soon after Blank "disappeared" into her room. I was old enough to know what was going on, but no one, myself included, dared to bother them about it.  
  
I was starting to get somewhat tired as I saw the Iifa tree in the distance. It was then that my senses became alert again. I leaned slightly over the railing to hopefully get a closer look at it. I guess that Baku saw the same thing I did because he started to slow down and look for a landing spot. I gently closed my eyes, letting my ears take in all the sounds that were floating in the air.  
  
And then, I heard it…  
  
The song of Madi Sari was lightly playing in the air and it got louder every second. It never got louder by much, but it was loud enough to ring in my ears. The voice was soft, soothing, and definitely male. I started to sing in unison with the voice as Baku found a good place to land.  
  
It was pitch black by now, but my horn glowed with a pale, white light that let me see at least five feet in front of me. I jumped off the ship and landed softly on my feet. I knew Baku was yelling at me to wait for him and the rest of the crew, but I just couldn't stand to wait that long. The voice was becoming pained, and hints of tears could be heard. Who ever it was, was crying, and I couldn't stand the sound of his pain any longer. I had to find him quickly.  
  
I began to run closer to the tree and the light on my horn started to become brighter. Whoever was singing was close by and I could sense his presence. The aura coming from him seemed so familiar that I ran faster toward my destination. Baku and the rest of Tantlantus were far behind me, but I didn't care. I had to reach him or else I was sure that we all would lose him forever.  
  
When I finally was able to see him, I saw his tail circle around his waist as he stepped on a ledge. I did the only that that I could at that moment of time before I completely lost my breath. I called out his name.  
  
"Zidane!" I screamed as I saw him step up on the highest ledge.  
  
The song stopped and he turned around to face em just as I hit the ground hard because of lack of energy. I started panting heavily as I rolled onto my back, but I could hear footsteps approaching me from several directions. Tantlantus had arrived, and Zidane was coming closer.  
  
I was too tired and too hurt at that point of time to really speak or make any sudden movements. Before I fell into a deep sleep, I saw Zidane's teary face leaning over me.  
  
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~**Zidane's POV**~  
  
"Zidane!" I quickly turned around at the mention of my name. My eyes were too blurry at the time because of crying for me to tell who it really was. I saw the figure coming toward me fall with a loud thump as she hit the ground. I ran over to her side and looked down at her.  
  
"Eiko…?" I asked out of pure shock. Why had she come here, and why did she appear now after six long years? It didn't make sense to me, but I could tell that it was she. I guess the purple hair and the long horn on her head was a dead give away, but she looked so mature that it truly was shocking to me. I lifted her head up slightly to get a better look at her face in the dark.  
  
Feet were coming closer and I held her protectively. Soon I could see a face that I hadn't seen in years. I stood up holding Eiko in my arms and a small smirk placed itself upon my face. What I would have given to show him the look of surprise on his face. It was priceless, and above all, it was comforting.  
  
"Oh my God," Blank whispered softly to himself as he finally realized who I was. Sure I looked different because the six years did affect me more than anyone had thought. "It's you. What happened to you? What happened to Eiko? Are you ok? How long have you been here?" The many questions flooded my mind and I looked at him with a slightly confused and bedazzled look upon my face.  
  
"On question at a time, please!" I exclaimed as I let out a small laugh. It was so good to see him again. It was good to see them all again. "I'll tell you everything about what happened on the ship. Right now I think that Eiko needs a lot of sleep. She was running all the way here, and she seemed to tired when she fell." I looked down at her angel face again. Her breathing had slowed down, and now she actually seemed like she was sleeping. I looked up at Blank and he nodded.  
  
Ruby, Baku, and Marcus were standing behind him just staring at me in amazement. Walking past Baku slowly, I rested my hand on Ruby's shoulder and gave her my normal impish smile. She smiled back and walked me back to the air ship.  
  
  
  
"How is she?" Ruby asked me as I gently tucked Eiko into the small bed that was provided for her. I sat back in a nearby chair and tilted my head backwards. Staring at the ceiling, I let out a long sigh and took my time answering her question. Nothing was wrong with Eiko, and I could tell that, but I was more worried about what was wrong with me. Coming back to the ship was uneasy for me and it felt extremely different than what I had remembered. Then again, it has been six years, why would anything be the same anymore?  
  
Don't worry," I calmly stated. "She'll be ok." I looked over at Ruby and saw that she was relieved.  
  
"What about ya?" I arched my eyebrow and stared at her carefully. The question had caught me off guard and I really didn't know how to answer it. How was I? Frightened? Timid? Worried? Relieved? Happy? I truthfully only knew about how I felt as much as she did. Absolutely nothing.  
  
I gave a slight shrug and looked back at Eiko. She looked relaxed and very content with her surroundings; was it because of me being around again? I remembered her looking like that when she would sleep next to me on our adventures. Silently asleep and she never seemed to worry about anything; even when the little event happened in Pandemonium.  
  
"I guess I'm ok," I finally said. She didn't seem convinced by my answer, and I didn't blame her. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't be convinced either.  
  
"Ok? Is that all? After being isolated for six years, barely having anything to eat or drink, the only company that ya had was ya brother, and now that you're back with your friends, you think that you're only ok?" She gave me a long, hard stare before I finally stood up to hopefully escape her gaze. I didn't like her staring at me like that. It was as if she could read my mind, and that made me feel very uncomfortable.  
  
"I don't know Ruby. Why don't you tell me how I'm feeling," I snapped at her. I glared at her, and then calmed down. Why was I getting angry so quickly? I should have been happy, but I wasn't.  
  
"Look at ya," she walked up to me and placed her small hand on my shoulder. "Ya skin has tanned because of sun exposure. Ya hair has grown longer, ya eyes have darkened, you've grown taller and more muscular, ya skin has thickened, and above all you've learned to love. I can see it in your eyes that you're feeling pain to be away from her. Don't worry, ya time will come." She gave a reassuring smile to me as she walked away and sat beside Eiko's bed once again.  
  
"How has everyone been while I was gone? I'm sure lots of things have changed. How's Dagger, Rusty, and Beatrix? What about everyone else, ne?" I looked at her closely for answers, but she only bowed her head as if she was carefully thinking about what he next answer was going to be.  
  
"I was hoping ya wouldn't ask about that, but ya did. Eiko was supposed to tell ya if we ever did find ya because she would know more about it than we do. Oh, God, it's just been so hard without ya around. I'm sure they'll be glad to see ya, but I'm not so sure than see will… no one is anymore." I walked up behind her and looked down at her. What was she talking about? Who was she talking about, and what really has been going on in the past six years?  
  
"Ruby, what are you talking about?" I asked unsure if I was ready to hear what she was going to tell me. She sucked in a sharp breath, and took her time answering me. She eventually turned around and gave me a long stare before all the information seemed to leak out at once.  
  
"We all didn't know what to do when she came about. I mean, what were we supposed to tell her? How were we supposed to make her understand what ya had to do? Garnet barely understood, and every time she would see Garnet cry over ya, it just made her hate ya more. Everyone tried to talk to her about it, especially Eiko, but no one could get through to her. She even yelled at Garnet, 'I hate him, Mommy!' and even then, she didn't know what to do. God, Zidane, I hope everything will eventually turn out all right because we don't want her hating ya. Ya have to understand we tried, Zidane. We tried! But she wouldn't listen. I'm so, so sorry…" She blurted it al out so quickly, that the only part I really picked up on was somewhere in the middle and close to the end.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded in a sharp tone. I didn't mean for it to come out like it did, but I was so confused by this point, I didn't know what else to do. Ruby couldn't look me in the eye because she could tell that I didn't have a clue what she was talking about.  
  
"Even six years ago, ya never knew, did ya?" I stared at her bewildered and totally unaware of what she was talking about. "Ya probably don't even know who I'm talking about. I'm not surprised really. Garnet didn't find out until after ya left as well."  
  
"Who are you talking about, Ruby?" My voice was filled with more pain and confusion every time I spoke. I needed to know what was going on, and I needed to know then.  
  
"I'm talking about Jade, Zidane. I'm talking about… ya… daughter…" Those words hit me like a sharp smack across the face. My daughter?! That must have meant that Dagger was pregnant the last time I saw her. But I didn't know. I don't think that anyone knew about it then. But she must have been six by now, and her name was Jade. Jade… God, she must be beautiful.  
  
"What does she look like?" I asked out of simple curiosity.  
  
"She looks like a perfect mix between ya and Garnet. She has ya eyes, ya tail, Garnet's horn and hair color, besides the strands of gold in it that come from ya. And she acts like ya a whole lot. In fact, so much like ya, it's uncanny, but she resents ya. Everything about ya she hates and no one knows why. I even heard from Eiko that she tried to cut off her tail to rid any trademarks of ya from her body. It was so sad, and Garnet didn't speak for a week. She refused to believe that it happened, or that anything outside of her room existed. It's so sad. Garnet misses you so much, and I can tell it hurts her to hear her daughter proclaim how much she hates ya."  
  
I leaned against the closest wall and slumped to the floor. All of this information was coming too quickly, and I couldn't take it all in at once. Jade hated me… My own daughter, flesh and blood, hated me, and there was nothing I could have done to stop it. I slammed my fist against the wooden floor and hung my head in defeat. It hurt so much to hear the she RESENTED me.  
  
Tears swelled up in my eyes, and my breathing became jagged. I curled up into a ball and wrapped my arms and my tail around my legs. I felt so weak and vulnerable at that point of time. It hurt so much and I felt alone and bare, like a little kid with no parents to guide him. I closed my eyes and held back any tears that I had. Resting my head on my arm, I let my body tremor.  
  
"Ruby, go…"  
  
"Zidane, I-" she began, but I cute her off.  
  
"Just go…" She opened her mouth to speak again, but shut it knowing that I would only yell at her in return. She quietly left the room and myself alone. It hurt so much to be hated by someone who you should love. It toyed with my brain and numbed my soul. I didn't want to be apart of this reality anymore. I wanted to be with Dagger, in the arms of the one I trusted. In all my years, I've never felt so much pain.  
  
And then it came. The tears slid past my eyelids, and I cried. I was left in the room with only the sounds of Eiko's breathing and my sobbing. Years of repression fell with each tear, but only new pain and sorrow filled the gap that the repressed tears had left…  
  
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~~**Eiko's POV, Present Time**~  
  
"…So after that, Tantlantus decided to have him play as Marcus as a special surprise for Dagger and Jade. He was so worried that Dagger had found someone else, but now he's ok with that. You can't tell either one alright?" I asked giving Beatrix a hard glance. She simply nodded still trying to absorb what was going to happen in the play today. I wasn't surprised by her reaction to it. It was something that was predetermined.  
  
"I should really go check up on Garnet and Jade. They should be finished getting ready by now. Plus the play is starting in an hour and already the nobles are starting to overflow the place. I wonder if Quina is finished with the dinner yet. There's so much to worry about around this time of year, and with this added surprise, the commotion is going to be even bigger. I just hope that Garnet doesn't have a heart attack from it and that eventually Jade can get over her hatred." I nodded in agreement as I hopped off the small stone that I was sitting on while telling my story to Beatrix.  
  
My legs were tired and I had a long stretch before standing up. Beatrix began to walk away slowly, but I caught her attention before she left.  
  
"Nice to see you again, and take care!" I called out to her. She smiled and nodded.  
  
"You too, Eiko!" I heard her say in response as I she was walking away. I was now left alone near the grave thinking quietly to myself as time slowly passed by. I really hoped that the play was going to be a great success. I also hoped that Garnet would be able to be happy for once. She seemed so distant and unaware of what was going on in the outside world a few years after our adventure. She kept mainly to herself and taking care of Jade with all of her heart. Of course, she would naturally do that as a mother, but when I saw her look at Jade, I saw the same happy glance that she would give to Zidane on our travels. Only a couple things were certain; she loved Zidane more than anyone could understand, and whatever she saw in him, it was reflected in her daughter.  
  
Talking with her about the past was really interesting, and sometimes down right scary. I understood why Jade was so affected by it because Dagger just couldn't understand that she had to let go. But now I couldn't even consider that an option because the fact was that Zidane WAS back, and he could be a part of her life once again. That wasn't what I was worried about. I knew Dagger would accept him with open arms and never think twice about taking him back after so many years, but I knew from Jade's point of view that it wasn't going to be so easy. After she's lived almost eight years of her life with a single mother who ruled over a kingdom while still mourning over the past. All of the sudden, her father figure makes his first appearance in her life, and her mother expects things to run just as smoothly. I knew that wasn't going to happen; the sad thing was, so did Jade and Zidane.  
  
I can still remember the look on his face when he first asked me about her, and it totally caught me off guard. I didn't even know who told him or how he found out, but his face showed so much emotional pain, I didn't really know what to say. The years had been hard on him, and even one quick glance could tell anyone that. He looked almost completely different, if it weren't for the tail and his signature imp smile. But when I looked at him then, I only saw a twenty-four year-old adult who lost seven years of his life to pain and torment because of being separated from his soul mate.  
  
It was hard to explain his daughter to him; I don't think I've ever seen him so close to tears. The only thing that puzzled me was I didn't know that he was crying because he had a beautiful daughter, or because he had this daughter that hated him with a passion.  
  
I haven't spoken to him since, but what I've heard from Ruby so far was that he was slowly getting better. His emotional scars were deep, but they were healing. I wasn't surprised to hear that he already had a hard blow to his heart when Kuja died. As much as they hated each other at one point, they were still brothers, and Zidane still cared.  
  
The wind gently picked up and I looked at the sky. It was getting dark and it was almost time for the play. So much would be happening that night; I could almost sense the sparks in the sky because of the up coming tension. Everyone would have to improvise here on out no matter if they were in a play or not. No matter what was going to happen, I could almost guarantee that no one would be prepared for it.  
  
Emotions would be unpredictable, and I knew there was only one thing to worry about. Zidane would be accepted by Dagger, by the kingdom, and by all of his friends. The only thing that I was concerned about was whether or not he would be accepted and cherished by the one person that should matter most in his life.  
  
Of all the tests he's had to take to prove himself worthy, the hardest and most unforgiving one would be Jade… 


	4. Two Sides of the Same Coin

~**Garnet's POV**~  
  
I sat in my room with only the pale light of the room to lighten it. I knew it would only be a matter of moments before someone would knock on my door to call me to my seat, but I have to leave before then. I had to think things through.  
  
I got up and slowly walked to the door; my feet were guiding me with no specific destination in mind, but I gently pushed open the door when I reached it. Walking through the opening, I leaned against the other door beside it and patiently waited for the soft sound of my bedroom door shutting. I had no idea why I still stood there seconds after it closed, but at the time it made sense, so I waited.  
  
The halls were quiet and barely lit since all of the excitement was on the floor below, and only the faint sounds of orders being given and the sound of my breathing flowed through my ears as I was still leaning against my chamber door.  
  
It was all so quiet… The softest sound would break the golden silence, and I didn't want that. Too much was on my mind; there was too much I needed to think about…  
  
*"Please stop crying, Dagger," he softly whispered into my ear as his tail wrapped itself around my waist. His arms encircled me and began to gently stroke my back. I rested my head on his bare chest and closed my eyes, secretly wishing that the tears would stop coming.  
  
It was so cold in the room, but he was so warm. It would have made sense since I was lying down in drafty room, on a different planet, wearing the only thing that God gave me when I was born… which was nothing. But yet, it didn't matter because he was in the same conditions, and he was so warm.  
  
He pulled me closer when I started to shiver and softly planted a kiss on my temple trying to soothe me. No one was around, but I didn't care… because I was with him…*  
  
I lifted my head up, just in time to turn before I crashed into a wall. A cold breeze swept through the castle, and goose bumps quickly started to form on my arm. It took me awhile to realize what part of the castle I was in, for I was far from my room, and I was now in the place that me feet had taken me. I was still walking without thought reflecting on the only true moments that I felt safe and whole.  
  
Damnit, I was doing it again! I told myself to stop remembering that, but I couldn't. Everything after that day became different and more important.  
  
No one knew what happened that night until news got around that I was pregnant. The only person that I assumed knew was Eiko. I guess she must have heard me leave the room because the next day she gave me a knowing look that let me know she figured out where I went… and for what purposes.  
  
I never talked about it with anyone because it was personal, but I never regretted it, not after seeing what came of it… Jade… I couldn't even imagine how Zidane would deal with it as soon as he found out about her. I wasn't even sure if he was still alive to know. It pained me to think that he was dead because I refused to believe it. Only when I could see that he was dead, with my own eyes, would I believe it.  
  
Then again, I don't think I would be alive too long after that. I promised myself long ago that I didn't' want to live if he did not walk the planet like I do. I lived everyday hoping for his return.  
  
*He kissed me on the lips briefly before looking straight into my eyes as if to see into my soul. He knew something was wrong; he just wanted to know what it was. I could only stare back as I trembled in his arms. It was scary to think that soon after this I might be somehow separated from him soon after finding ourselves in each other.  
  
"They won't accept us, and you know it," I whispered with a shaky voice. For once, he knew what was wrong, and I could tell he was thinking about that as well.  
  
"I don't care," he stated calmly as he brushed a loose strand of hair out of my eyes. He could tell I was confused by his statement. He simply kept staring into my eyes and he slowly caressed my cheek with his hand. "I don't care what they think. I really don't give a damn, Dagger. If they choose to not approve of us, then fine, let them be that way. But it won't make me stop wanting to see you, and it will never making me stop loving you…" He gave me a soft, assuring smile that made me feel slightly better.  
  
"I won't stop loving you either, but I can't ignore the people's opinion. They won't like their queen marrying a thief," I softly replied, still lost in his gaze. Even though the subject was serious and important, I felt powerless staring at him. I could see in his eyes all the love in his heart exposed only to me.  
  
And it was beautiful… He was beautiful…  
  
"I know you care about your kingdom, and I won't make you choose sides, but god, for once ignore their opinions. What you say about it is above anything they can think of. You're the queen, and only you can choose your life, not them. If it really must come down to a choice, then stay with your duties, but if you're not allowed to accept me as a lover, then at least still accept me as a friend."  
  
I only saw warmth and compassion in his eyes. He leaned down and gently planted kisses from my bare shoulder to my chin. I tilted my neck slightly to the side and basked in the moment. Even after the rough conversation, he still had his playful side making itself noticed. His tail uncoiled around my waist and tickled my face lightly with its short, soft hairs. This was the kind of moment I had been longing for all my life; I just didn't know it until now.  
  
"Indeed. A very close friend," I laughed as I closed my eyes and leaned against him again. I stroked the fur on his tail lightly. He left out a dreamy sigh and looked up at the ceiling. He seemed content with his surroundings; probably because I was there to shoo away all his worries. I knew that a lot had to be on his mind after this long day. He found out why he was created, where he's from, who his creator was, what love was, and most importantly what he was.  
  
I guess the fact that I still accepted him made him feel more comfortable. All the anger and frustration that was present earlier was now gone as I lay next to him. I was glad, too. I hated to see him feel that way and not know what to do about it. He almost pushed everything he held dear away. His friends, his family, his life, and even myself.  
  
I didn't know what he was thinking about at the moment, but it must have been something peaceful. A slight smirk was on his face as his tail swished back and forth. His hand was still slowly and gently caressing my back as I rested on him. When he spoke, I was both startled and confused.  
  
"Jade…" he quietly proclaimed. I looked at him with a puzzled face. He only looked back with a warm smile. The smile wasn't cryptic, but I still had no idea what he was talking about. When he finally explained, my face blushed a bright red.  
  
"…If we ever have a daughter, I want her to be named Jade…"*  
  
That was when the name had been decided, and I named her that just like he wanted me to. I was so happy with myself that I had fulfilled his request, but even her presence could not fill the gap that he had left in my heart. I was still drawn to him, and I never planned on pulling away. That was just something that I never saw myself doing.  
  
I was now near the front of the castle where my mother portrait was. I sat down on the step in front of it and gazed down the stairs. Placing my chin in my hand, I left out a long sigh still reflecting on the past. I had given every part of me to him that day, and the memory of it just wouldn't die. I hung my head and tried to listen to the far off vices that were further down the hall.  
  
I could tell that was dinner was ready to go right after the ply. Quina was doing a good job in the kitchen and was probably the best cook Alexandria has ever had. She/he was always the one to prepare the feast after the play every year after our adventures, and every year I was grateful.  
  
I heard footsteps walk up behind me. I didn't bother to turn around because I knew it was Beatrix just by the way she walked. I knew I was going to be found, and this only meant one thing… The play was about to begin…  
  
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~**Jade's POV About Thirty Minutes Earlier**~  
  
"EIKO!" I cried out as I ran outside the castle gates. I had to talk to her before the play began. She promised! I couldn't believe that she forgot so easily! I heard from Beatrix that Eiko was outside, so I figured since I had some time before the play started I could still go see her. The only problem was, Eiko was no where to be found.  
  
"Eiko!" I screamed again. My feet were going faster than I intended and I knew mother would get pretty upset if I ruin my dress and my shoes before the feast was over. She wanted me to be, "totally proper," as she put it. It didn't matter right now because I wanted to talk to Eiko, fast.  
  
I started to run where there was less light. I could barely see, but I kept on running hoping that my judgment would lead me right to her. I was so busy looking for Eiko, that I guess I didn't see the cloaked figure walking in my direction. With a loud thud, I ran into him and fell on my side. Well, too bad for keeping the dress clean. I must have startled him because he let out a small gasp as he leaned over to help me up.  
  
"I'm sorry!" the man stammered. I must have seriously caught him off guard. "I didn't see you coming and it was too late to move out of the way. I'm terribly sorry." He seemed sincere enough for me to believe him. I simply nodded and slowly stood up on my own. I placed my hand on my head to see if the crown was still there, but it wasn't. That was probably why he didn't know I was royalty. He spotted it on the ground before I did and gently placed it atop my head.  
  
"You're… Princess Jade, I presume?" he asked. His voice was so soothing that when he said my name it made me blush. I couldn't see his face or his whole body for that matter because of the cloak. If he took it off, maybe I could see him better.  
  
"Yes, I am her. Why are you here?" I didn't mean to sound as rude as I did, but I don't think the man picked up on it. He seemed to be in deep thought before realizing that I asked him a question.  
  
"I'm here with Tantlantus to perform the play for you, Highness."  
  
"I don't remember seeing you before in any of the other plays…"  
  
"I'm the newest member, so I didn't really expect anyone to remember me." Something behind him moved under his cloak, but I didn't get to see what it was. I could see that he had blonde hair and green eyes like myself. He stared at me for so long that I was sure something was wrong with the way I looked. I shifted uneasily under his gaze and let out a soft cough to let him know that he was staring.  
  
"Is there any reason why you're out here when the play's about to start?" I asked.  
  
"Well, I was finished talking to Lady Eiko, so I decided to go out for a quick walk before I performed."  
  
"You know her? I though you said no one here was supposed to remember you!"  
  
"Well, she was the one that sort of, 'discovered' me, so to speak. I meant I don't expect anyone that I haven't seen in the past day to remember me such as friends, associates, even family." The way he said it seemed to be hinting at something I didn't understand.  
  
"How can your own family not remember you?" A small smile appeared on his face. He seemed to be glad that I had engaged in conversation with him, especially on this topic. His look was cryptic and so were his words. Everything about him was a secret waiting to be unlocked.  
  
"Well, I've been gone from Alexandria for a long time under circumstances that I couldn't avoid. I've wanted to see my wife and child for so long, but I couldn't leave where I was. I was trapped, almost in the literal sense. I was more than thrilled to do this play because it gave me a chance to see what I've missed all the years that I've been gone. Plus I love to act and perform for others. Don't you like to please others, especially your mother and father?" I winced at the word father. How was I going to explain this to a total stranger?  
  
"I never really knew my father…" I began slowly. "… I was only told of stories about him from just about everyone in the castle. Everyone was very well spoken of him, but I just couldn't understand how everyone could think of someone so highly when all that came of it was me being a bastard child. My mother cries herself to sleep and denies the fact that he's dead. Everyone tells her that but she won't believe it, and it hurts me every time I watcher her cry… because of him… And I grew to hate him for it. If he never left her, things wouldn't be like this, and maybe I'd know more about him than what stories have to say…" My voice quieted down and I felt myself wanting to cry. I felt angry and sad because of my father. It felt so weird opening up to a total stranger, but I felt better. It was as if a burden was lifted from my shoulders.  
  
The stranger's eyes were glossed over as if he was going to cry, but he didn't. "I think your mother has done a good job raising you. I also think it's good that she hasn't given up hope yet. Hearing you talk makes me wonder if my child thinks ill of me. You have to understand that people get pulled away from their loved ones and can't find a way back for a long time, but as long as they still have hope, everything will be ok."  
  
"But Father should've been back by now! Where was he all my life when Mother needed him, when I needed him?!" I yelled at him. Tears slid past my eyelids and a quiet sob escaped past my lips.  
  
"I know how you feel, and I can probably understand where your father is coming from. I'll tell you right now, if I could I would want to take back all the years I lost separated from my family. I missed them everyday. Did you know that I didn't know I even had a child until last year? Think of that. Not knowing another family member is waiting for you for years on end. It pained my ears when I heard about it." I didn't respond. I truthfully didn't know how to. "Don't give up hope in your father, ok? Be strong and I can guarantee if he's still alive, he loves you with all his heart."  
  
It was then that the stranger embraced me with a warm hug. The strange thing was, I hugged him back. Talking to him let out all my stress and anger that I had built up for years, and it felt good. What also felt good was his hug.  
  
For the first time in my life, I was hugged the same way every child I knew was. The way a father would hug his child… 


	5. At First Sight

~**Zidane's POV**~  
  
I walked back slowly to the theater ship with a lot on my mind. I couldn't really explain how I was feeling, but Goddamn, I was proud. It was my first time seeing her, and I was hurt when she confessed that she hated me, of course, she didn't say 'I hate you!' she was just talking about me; it made no difference. I expected that she would say that, so I prepared myself. I just didn't expect to bump into her when I did. That was what caught me off guard.  
  
She was beautiful, and a carbon copy of her mother. Eiko was also right when she said she acted like me. The mix of us in every way. It still made me smile every time I thought about it. Seeing her only made me more eager to get on with the play. I wanted to get to know her and to spend the rest of my life with her and Dagger, but I could tell that it wasn't going to be as easy as I hoped.  
  
I continued to walk around the sides of the castle, finding a way to kill time before I had to do the play. I guess you could say that I was nervous, that's only if you count constant trembling, sweaty palms, and keener   
senses all as signs of nervousness. My mind was slowly putting together all the missing pieces of my past that I just found out about, and it was killing my brain. I wanted to just run back in time to before I left Garnet and stay with her. I would stay with her holding her and kissing her all throughout the night whispering soft reassurances in her ear about how our baby was going to be beautiful and perfect in every way. I wanted to be able to go back to the time when Jade was born, when she first saw daylight, so that I could hold her in my arms forever. Then for the rest of her life I could constantly tell her how much I love her and how important she was to me, but that was never going to happen. I was years too late, and no matter how hard I could hope and pray, I know that things would always be different than what they would be if I stayed behind, if I didn't leave Garnet.  
  
I sat down by the river outside of the castle and looked into the clear water. I could barely tell if the water was shaking or if I was. It all seemed the same to me, and barely anything made sense at that moment. All I knew was that I was back in the city that I somehow felt at home in, and that I would be soon reunited with the family that I had only dreamed of for seven years. Garnet and Jade. The two jewels of my heart… Corny, I know, but it was true. It was truer than anyone could ever know. Even so, I couldn't ignore the fact that even though I loved them both to death; my departure had taken a deeper affect than anyone had ever expected.  
  
Jade seemed to hate me, but I think after talking to her I got rid of some anger. I was glad that I actually got to hug her for once. She reminded me so much of myself, and of Dagger. She did everything with a passion like Dagger and kept to her word like I did, but I don't think just these things will heal the wound that I've made on her. I feel like such an asshole, missing out on her life like that.  
  
I got up from where I was sitting on the rock and smoothed out my cloak. Then I began to walk back to the theater ship. While I was on the way to the ship, I stopped by the front of the castle and peered through the open doors, and that was when I saw her. My beautiful Dagger, sitting on the steps as Beatrix came closer to her. I held my breath and just stared at her beauty. I wanted to rush over to her and kiss her over and over again assuring her that I would never leave her side for any reason ever again, but like a statue I stood there gazing at her with all the love I had in my heart. Looking at her made me realize why I lived so long by myself and why I never gave up, even when Kuja died. I promised my brother and myself that I would live to see her face, just one more time. I lived to keep that promise, and now I'm so glad that I made it. She was truly an angel from heaven. She was my angel from heaven…  
  
"Psst! Zidane! We have to go, now! The play's about to start!" I heard Blank harshly whisper to me when he finally found me standing in front of the castle. It caught me by surprise and I almost was seen standing in front of the castle like I was. Luckily I snapped out of my trance and realized where I was. I turned around and ran back to the ship with him, but I was still thinking about my beloved Dagger. I didn't want to lose this chance, for I would never have it again…  
  
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~**Garnet's POV**~  
  
"Jade! Come here, child!" I softly ordered and kneeled down so that I was eye to eye with her. I quickly fixed her crown and her dress. I couldn't have her looking like the total mess she was when the play was about to start. She was a princess, and a play was just about to start. I was going to have a heart attack if she was going out looking like she was. What's wrong with me? I'm flipping out over the little things that I normally would have never noticed. God, I was already worrying over everything and only at the age of 24… Why was I so nervous? "You're a princess; you can't go out looking like that! What were you doing before you got here?"  
  
She fumbled with her hands and stared at the ground. A small blush of embarrassment came over her cheeks as she thought of an answer. What was with this child and this whole castle lately? "I was talking to the new member of Tantlantus. I sorta bumped into him while I was on my way here," she softly replied while still gazing at the floor. I could tell just by the way she was acting that something different happened while the two were talking, but as much as I wanted to ask, I knew Steiner would come and bug me to take my seat.  
  
"Well, Honey, why don't you tell me all about it as soon as the play's over, ne?" She smiled and nodded. Her smile made a warm feeling rush over me and it brought a smile to my face. It had been so long since I saw her smile. I almost forgot how pretty it was. I was glad to see her happy… "Now go! Rush to your seat!" I slightly pushed her forward and watched her run down the hall. I took a deep breath and walked slowly after her.  
  
It seemed like years since I last saw this play, yet I knew it was going to be the same like it was every year. The more I thought about that comment, the more I doubted it. Why do I have this strange feeling? It's as if I know something different is going to happen no matter what I tell myself. My gut was telling me that something was going to happen; good or bad, I couldn't tell, but something, nonetheless. It was same feeling that I got… that I got seven years ago when I first met Zidane…  
  
Again I bring up his name out of no where! I have to remind myself to stop doing that, but I can't in a way… I promised Vivi that I wouldn't… Vivi… that poor soul. I know he wanted to see Zidane as much as the rest of us did, but I don't think it was for the same reasons. He knew how unhappy I was without Zidane, I think that all he wanted was for us to be happy again, so I promised never to give up on him, and I promised to give him Vivi's letter… Vivi's dying wish…  
  
I've held that letter close to me for three years now, and I still haven't had the chance to present it to him. I read it once, and I cried. It was so beautiful, and I knew that Vivi meant every word of it. He must have wrote it when he knew that he was going to stop… I made sure that the last line of it was engraved on his tombstone. "My memories shall forever be part of the stars." Even poor Eiko cries every time she reads it. Vivi was the one who understood her the most…  
  
I walked to my seat when Baku began the play by thanking everyone for coming. He gave me a special smile when he noticed me walking it, so I gave him a small wave so that he would know that I saw him. He walked off the stage and the play began with the new member of Tantlantus playing Marcus.  
  
When he began to talk, Jade and I sat forward in our seats. His voice was so powerful, so emotional, and when he spoke to Cornelia, there was so much love expressed in his words. Listening to him made me feel as if the play was real, and not just a show. The acting this year seemed better than all the years before, but I couldn't sense why. Maybe it was because of this new actor? I could tell that he was casting the same spell on Jade as he was on me, and for the first time, I saw Jade actually enjoying the play.  
  
I could sense that everyone in the audience was having a different reaction to this play than what they've had for the years before. This was just so much more powerful and emotional than I remembered. This is exactly how the play was when Zidane performed for me for the first time… Zidane…  
  
"Ah!" Cornelia screamed when Blank stage stabbed her in the gut. This was the second scene that depressed me the most. I looked over at Jade and saw that she was close to tears, but I knew why she wanted to cry. It wasn't because of this scene; she was thinking of how Marcus was going to feel when he finds out that his love dies. I could tell because I felt the same way.  
  
The lights darkened and lit up again with only the light of the two moons. The man playing Marcus slowly walked onto the stage. This was the saddest scene in the play where Marcus was going to profess his love for Cornelia to the moons, and it made me cry every time I watched it. I could just imagine the pain in his heart because it was the pain that I've had to deal with everyday for the past seven years.  
  
I knew what it was like to lose a loved one that meant the world to you, and I knew the feeling of not seeing them, never knowing if they're going to ever show up or return to your heart. I knew that feeling better than anyone else did in the world. What Marcus felt in the play is what I felt everyday, and it was slowly but surely killing me with a new wound every time someone would mention his name.  
  
I listened closely to Marcus' words and closed my eyes. They were stronger than ever, and I wanted to cry just listening to the pain in his heart. His pain, my pain, it was all the same, and he expressed it with such a deep and sorrowful voice… Wait… That voice…! I listened closer to the way he talked and the way he used his arms with his words, and it all reminded me so much of… him… I shook the idea out of my head. It couldn't be him. Zidane was dead, and I was finally ready to admit it.  
  
Tears slid down my cheeks as I turned my head to the side and gripped the armrests tighter. I didn't want to be in this room anymore. I wanted to run I wanted to breathe! But this room and his words were all drowning me, killing me slowly, and I could barely stand it.  
  
I let out a choked sob louder than I had expected, and Jade looked over at me. I could tell that she saw the pain I was feeling in my facial expression, for soon her tiny hand was on top of mine, squeezing it to give me comfort, but it didn't help me at all. Just as I was about to bolt out of my seat, I heard Marcus say the one thing I never expected to hear for the rest of my life, and I froze…  
  
"Bring my beloved Dagger back to me!" I sucked in a sharp breath and looked down at him with the cloak thrown to the side. He stood there with his tail twitching, waiting for my response.  
  
Zidane…  
  
I looked closer at the figure to make sure that it wasn't a dream and that this was all real because I didn't want it to be a dream; I wanted it to be real. He smiled at me and I ran. I ran to the double door behind my seats and looked at Beatrix. She nodded and pushed the door open to let me through. I could only hear my daughter call out to me as I ran, but I didn't care. My love was back and I had to return to the arms that I lived for.  
  
I bolted out the castle's front door and ran into the crowd. I had to literally shove my way through, but I didn't care. They were only slowing me down, and I didn't want to be stopped.  
  
I'm coming, Zidane… I'm coming…  
  
My eyes were blurred over when I ran into a small noble boy. The Falcon Claw flew from my neck and landed about a good ten feet away from me. I clutched my hands to my neck and closed my eyes. Should I go get the necklace? Or should I run to Zidane? My neck felt bare without the Falcon Claw, but my body was so cold without Zidane; it was so cold…  
  
I turned around and ran toward Zidane as fast as I could. I came to a clear path and threw my crown to the ground. I didn't need a sign of royalty on me now; all I needed was Zidane's warm embrace. I could see him walking toward the edge of the ship, and that was when I jumped into his arms almost knocking him over.  
  
He spun me around and kissed me on the lips with a love and passion that I had missed for seven years. Placing me on the ground, he pulled away slightly and looked into my eyes. I beat on his chest letting out all my anger and frustration at him that I held in, but he took the blows and pulled me close to him. It was so good to be in his embrace again… I didn't know how much I missed his touch…  
  
Throughout the whole scene, the entire kingdom was cheering wildly, but then it grew silent, so silent that it sent shivers down my spine, for I didn't know what was going on. Zidane pulled away and looked past me with a serious expression on his face. His smile was gone, and I saw a hint of fear and pain in his eyes. What was troubling him?  
  
I didn't get my answer until I turned around. I wrapped my arms around Zidane's and looked down at her… Jade… She stood there with a face of so many mixed emotions that I didn't know how to describe it. Everyone was afraid of what was going to happen, and I never felt the tension get so high.  
  
"Jade…" I began nervously. Was she ready for this? Was I ready for this? "Jade, honey, this is Zidane… your father." Jade just stared at him with a look of disbelief in her eyes. She seemed to know about something that I didn't and it was confusing me, but then I remembered something. She told me she talked to the newest member of Tantlantus before the play started… Which means she talked to him, but he didn't tell her who he was. It all makes sense now, but why wasn't anyone even breathing anymore?  
  
"Why didn't you tell me…?" Jade asked him with a slight sound of pain in her voice. Zidane looked at the ground and let out a sigh. I unlinked my arm with his and looked at him. I could tell that he was slightly regretting his actions, but he was mostly thinking of a good reply to her question.  
  
"Jade, I'm sorry… I-" he took a step forward, but she only drew back. Tears were forming in her eyes, and so many emotions could be seen such as confusion, hatred, desperation, and a number of other things. Jade simply shook her head as her tears spilled down her cheeks. Before anyone could say another word, she grabbed the ruffles of her dress and ran away as fast as she could. I stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds, but Zidane had already started to run after her. All I could hear were a few gasps from the town's people while I placed my hand over my mouth, looking at the scene in shock.  
  
I slumped to my knees and wrapped my arm around my side. For the first time, I felt her pain as well as my own…  
  
  
  
(A/N: Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!! This chapter took me a while to write but since FF.net shut down for a while, I guess it didn't matter Oo;;; How will Jade and Zidane get along? oohh lala, I dunno, but don't keep thinking the same opinion over anf over, you just might be wrong =D. Please r/r and tell me if this sux or not! Have to update the next chapter now!)  



	6. Understandings

~**Zidane's POV**~  
  
"Jade!" I called out as I continued to run after her. I could tell that the crowd was trying to move out of our way because a straight, clear path was available for us to run on after she left the stage. Damnit! How could I not see something like this coming? I should have known that she wasn't going to take it too lightly. I was such a fool in believing that everything was going to be ok when I showed up. I shouldn't have been so stupid…  
  
I was lucky that I was faster than she was because it wasn't long before I finally was able to catch up with her. I quickly reached out and wrapped my arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground. She let out a small yelp and started to scream and kick. This only made me fall onto my back, but I didn't let go. Nothing in this world could have possibly made me let go of her just then.  
  
"Let go of ME!" she screamed as she kicked me hard in the gut. I was winded and let out a small gasp of air, but I still held on. When I finally got my breath back, I turned her over and stared straight into her teary eyes. Their green color was faded and only the redness of her eyes showed. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and I just stared at her for seemed like forever. She no longer kicked or screamed or cried, we just stared, searching for all the answers to each other's questions in our eyes.  
  
After a long while, I found my answer, and I let her go. She ran off to the inside of the castle as soon as I heard Garnet approach me. I slowly sat up as I felt Garnet wrap her arms around me, sobbing her heart out. Jade… I shook my head and held Garnet back. Maybe with time, the wounds would heal…  
  
  
"Jade, sweetie, please come out!" I heard Garnet beg as she stood outside Jade's room. Four hours had passed after the play, but Jade still had not left her room. No sound was heard from it except for the sound of a small music box gently playing. Garnet was still a mess ever since the play ended. I could only imagine how she felt about her daughter's actions, but everyone was used to it. Were these the kinds of events that went on while I was gone? Is this what my disappearance had caused?  
  
I leaned against the wall closest to Garnet and Jade, slowly letting out a heavy sigh. I knew only I could fix this situation, but I didn't know how, and I didn't know how long it would take. Garnet rested her head on the door after she stopped calling out to Jade. Her breathing was short and ragged, and I knew she was going through a lot of stress at that time, but I had a clearer idea of how to help her. I walked over to her and pulled her into my arms. She closed her eyes and leaned against me, hoping that the pain would go away.  
  
"It's ok. Give her some time and I know she'll come around. It's harder for her to adjust to things like this, but I think when I first talked to her I knocked some sense into her. Don't worry about it, just give her space for now," I whispered into her ear while rubbing her arms. She simply nodded and placed her hand over mine.  
  
"I know she needs time and space, but how long and how much? I'm so afraid of what this could do to her even though I've prayed for it everyday. I just wish things could have been easier…" She looked down at the ground with a slight pout on her face. I used two of my fingers to lift up her chin and to make her look at me. I gave her a small smile and stroked the side of her face.  
  
"Hey," I started, "I thought I told you not to worry. She's a strong girl and can take care of herself. I know she'll be fine. I'm worried about you though…" I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, which she gladly returned. "I think you should get some rest, and we can hold off the feast till a later date, ok?" She pulled away and turned around to face me.  
  
"Yes, sleep does sound like a good idea. I'll make sure to inform Quina when we will actually hold the feast." I nodded, and turned to walk off to my room that Beatrix showed to me earlier. "Wait…!"  
  
I stopped and looked at Garnet before asking, "What is it?" Garnet walked up to me and grabbed one of my hands, holding it to her chest. Her eyes were staring at the ground as if she was in deep thought. I didn't know what she wanted me to wait for, but when she looked up into my eyes, I got a slight idea. She moved closer and whispered loud enough so that only I could hear.  
  
"I want you to stay with me tonight… Please…" I could see in her eyes how much she needed me, an I was glad that I was back home with her… Home… This is where I wanted to be…  
  
"Sure," I said with a slight smile while I gently squeezed her hand. She smiled back and slowly lead me to her room. Not that I needed directions. As a thief you learn your way around places very quickly, other wise you can't get in and out of a building as fast as you want to. I still remembered my way to her room though, even after not being in the castle for seven years.  
  
Her room seemed bigger than I last remembered, but it hadn't changed much over the years. She still had the large bed and the small dresser right beside it, and, of course, the single window facing toward the town. I shut the doors quietly and lifted her onto the bed. Garnet took of the hair tie and let her hair fan out underneath her as she lied down. Her dark brown hair made her skin look so much lighter than it actually was, but damn, it made her look so beautiful…  
  
I climbed next her in her bed and let my hand run down the side of her body. In response, she arched her body toward my hand and let out a sigh. I just stared at her, taking in every part of her with my eyes, never wanting to look away. Kissing her bare shoulder, I pulled her closer to me and ran my hands down her back. Rolling over and pulling me with her, Garnet kissed me hard on the lips when I was now on top of her. She was so demanding and so fragile at that point, I had to stay with her, and I didn't want to leave.  
  
I kissed her back and wrapped my arms around her. Sliding my tongue into her mouth, I made her back arch so her chest was pushing into mine. 'Heh, just like last time,' I thought to myself as I continued to kiss her deeply. She pulled away with a different look in her eyes.  
  
"For years, I've needed someone's love, Zidane, and I know I could have gotten it from several different men," she said as she kept looking at me. I wasn't quite sure was she was talking about or what she was aiming at, but I never said a word and just kept on listening. "But I never wanted them, for I knew in the long run, it would only hurt me. I really didn't need just anyone's love… I needed yours, and now that you're back, I need you to help me forget those seven years of pain."  
  
I kissed her neck and softly whispered, "I'll do anything for you, Dagger." I heard her softly moan as I kissed her neck again. Her skin was so flushed and warm, and her scent, I thought I was going to die in the sweetness of it. She ran her hand down my back, and her touch was electrifying. It sent sparks down my spine, and if I wasn't kissing her neck, I would have let out a low moan. God, I can't believe I almost forgot what kind of spell this woman could put on me.  
  
She held onto me tighter, letting her hands travel over my back and sliding into my hair. I could feel my temperature rising as I let my tongue lap at her neck, trying to slightly bruise her skin and leave my mark. I could hear her moaning from deep within her throat, and it only made me more excited and impatient. I gently slid my hands down the sides of her body to her waist and slowly started to knead her flesh. It was then that she wrapped her legs around my waist and pressed her hips against mine. Not even kissing her neck could prevent the low growl that came from my mouth. Damn, I forgot what she could do to me, but there are so many things that I could do to her…  
  
I slowly began to rock my hips against hers, trying to build her up for almost no reason. Maybe it was just to hear her moan my name, which she did. Her breathing became shallower, and every time I moved against her, she would either say my name or just moan, both of which would ring in my ears and flow throughout my body. I finally stopped when I thought that she was becoming too loud.  
Grabbing her chin, I pressed my mouth to hers in a hard, passionate way that would take her breath away, yet would make her have a taste of bliss. When I pulled back, I looked down into her soulful eyes. Her face was flushed a bright red, and her breathing had gone back to normal. She stared back at me with a look in her eyes that I couldn't explain. A thick silence filled the room, and the only sounds that I could hear were our breathing and my heartbeat that was going a mile a minute. Garnet swallowed and continued to stare at me before she decided to speak again.  
  
"Zidane, I…" she softly began when I stroked her face lightly, "…Make love to me." When I looked at her then, I no longer saw the young princess with a wild spirit that I had fallen in love with years ago. Instead, I saw a Queen, a young woman who would die for me and loved me with all her heart. A young woman with wisdom and beauty that surpassed every other woman that I ever lied eyes on, and I knew that I wanted to be with this woman forever.  
  
"Ok, Dagger… As you wish…" I smiled down at her and cupped her cheek with my hand. Her face was still crimson and glowing from the faint candlelight. I straddled her waist and kissed her lips gently while wrapping my arms around her waist and sliding my hand into her hair. Whatever fire she held back before, she was letting lose now. I could almost taste her passion on her lips, and it filled me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back with all the love that she had. Her touch burned my skin, and her lips lit my soul. Seven long years, this is what I missed… My beautiful Dagger…  
  
That night, I made love to my queen and washed away all her pain as soon as the lights went out…  
  
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~**Jade's POV**~  
  
The morning after my father came back, I checked up on my mother to see how she was. I expected her to be asleep, and that much was true. What I didn't expect to see was my father asleep next to her… naked. Of course, I didn't see anything, for I shut the door quickly and I ran back to my room. I knew it wasn't going to be hard for my mother to accept Zidane back into her heart. She loved him, and nothing would ever change that, but I couldn't accept him that easily. The pain ran too deep for me, and one little appearance wouldn't heal anything. It didn't heal anything for my mother either, but he had ways of proving his love to her, ways to heal her, and he did.  
  
For me it was harder. I barely knew him, and I know he's only known about me for a short while. I wanted to know more about him, but I still wanted nothing to do with him. At that time, I was filled with so many different emotions, I didn't know what I truly felt about my father coming back. I wanted him to come back, to be a part of my life, so I would hurt, and my mother's life, so she wouldn't cry. That was all I wanted, and I still hated him even though I got it.  
  
Maybe it was just fear of something I didn't understand. I didn't know or understand him, so I was afraid of how he could effect the castle's lifestyle. How would the kingdom like my mother marrying a thief? I guess they didn't mind too much because they were all cheering for them at the play, but I could still remember the dead silence that came after when I walked onto the stage. More people knew about his arrival than I thought, and I knew that Eiko knew a lot more about it than anyone else did. Maybe that was why she wouldn't talk to me before the play. Was she trying to not give it away?  
  
I walked over to my dresser and placed my hands on the smooth wood. Two things were on that dresser, both of which were important to me. One was the golden tiara that my mother had given me the day before, the other was an old music box that I got for my first birthday. It was a small music box with a dancing moogle on it that spun whenever the box played. This was how I learned the song of Madain Sari; Mother made someone specially build it so that song would play whenever I started to cry or become sad. It always helped, and I started to use it every time I felt lonely or depressed. I even used it yesterday.  
  
Picking up the small music box, I walked over to my bed and wound it up. As the music started to softly play, I watched the moogle dance. It's soft melody filled the room, and I gently began to hum the tune as well. The song slowly let more stress out of my body, and I sighed. Just as the tune was ending, I heard a loud knock come from my door.  
  
"It's open!" I shouted, hoping that it was mother coming in to check up on me. She always did every morning. I got up and placed the music box back on my dresser and smoothed back my hair with my hands. I neglected to brush it this morning because I was hoping that Mother would be able to. I heard the door open and softly shut, but I was still looking at the music box. I didn't need to turn around, I knew it was Mother, but normally she would have said something when she walked into my room…  
  
I turned around and held my breath as soon as I saw whom it was. Zidane leaned against the door and hung his head. His medium length blonde hair hung around his face and covered his eyes. He wore his loose blue pants that he wore the day before, even the belt that was too big for his waist. The only thing different was that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and anyone could tell now that his skin was clearly darker than my mother's, but so was mine. In fact, my skin was only about a shade lighter than his was.  
  
He looked up and I could see a hint of sadness and pride glittering in his eyes. A small smile came upon his face as he looked at me. Was he proud? Was I what he expected? Or did he expect nothing and he was just happy to see me? I didn't know, but I didn't feel uneasy under his gaze, I just felt different.  
  
"Mornin', Jade. I heard you when you walked into Dagger's room, but I didn't want to move because I was afraid of waking her," He calmly stated as he moved away from the door. Dagger? Is that what he called my mother? I stood motionless by my dresser and I never took my eyes off of him. I could see his tail behind him, moving as if it had a mind of its own. He leaned against a nearby wall and looked over at me. His eyes shined the same brilliant green that mine did. Mother was right; I looked more like him that I did her.  
  
"What do you want?" I hissed at him with slight venom in my voice. He wasn't affected by it at all and just calmly replied to my question.  
  
"I just wanted to get to know you a little bit better. After all, we both know nothing more than simple stories about each other, but if you want me to leave, just say so. I don't want to waste your time." His voice was smooth and even. I was surprised that he wasn't mad at me because I said I hated him. In fact, I was more surprised that he cared more about my feelings than his own personal desires. I just kept staring at him, speechless.  
  
I wanted him to leave, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him to go. "Um… You can stay if you want…" I slowly stated as I looked at him with an uncertain look in my eyes. He nodded and I sat down on a small vanity chair near the dresser that I was standing by. I picked up my gold tiara and began to play with in my hands. I was nervous sitting near a total stranger, but he wasn't a stranger. Zidane was my father.  
  
He was looking around my room as if something was missing. Of course, he didn't get up, but he was just looking with his eyes as if something was misplaced, something was wrong. I didn't know what he was trying to find, but I figured I would let him ask before I would say anything. He was so strange and so different from how my mother acted. Only God knows how those two ended up getting together.  
  
"That's interesting," he stated half to himself. He slowly got up and wandered around my room, looking at almost every inch of it. What was he doing? Before I got to ask, he asked me a question. "Why is your room as plain as you mother's? Don't you have any toys or friends who give you presents and decorations? I find it quite odd that you don't have any toys besides that music box, especially at your age…"  
  
I too looked around my room and noticed the lack of toys. I never really noticed before. Maybe that was because I was so used to it. The only toyish gift I remembered getting was the music box and most didn't notice that, but why did he? These were things about him that I was noticing that no story could have prepared me for.  
  
"You sound like your mother when you sing. Did she teach you that song?" He turned to me, holding my mother's copy of I Want To Be Your Canary in his hands. She gave me that copy when I was six and old enough to read. Even though it was too advanced for me, I still read it and I was almost done. I almost had forgotten about his question until my music box started to play on its own.  
  
"Um…" I began when I was quite startled by the sudden noise. "Yes, she taught me the song when I was about four. I've been singing it ever since. Have you ever heard Mother sing it?" Maybe I could learn more about him and the relationship he has with Mother. After all, she never really told me that much with the stories that she's shared.  
  
He sighed and sat down on my bed once again. "I've heard it several times. I even asked her to sing it so I could sleep. The first time though was in the Village of Dali. I heard her in the middle of the night, but it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. I didn't ask her about it till the next day, but I got to hear her sing it again in Lindblum. I need to ask her to sing it again for me sometime soon." He got lost in thought for a moment. He wasn't as bad as I thought he was, and I guess he was almost everything my mother said he was… almost…  
  
"Did you and Mother always get along?" I asked with interest. I always heard how much she loved him the whole time, but maybe it was time for me to hear it from another point of view. What he said shocked me, but I figured as much.  
  
"Always? Oh hell no! She couldn't stand me most of the time. We got into more fights than I would like to remember. I always used to hit on her, but she either ignored me, or slammed it back in my face. When I first met her, I told her that she looked like the one I was waiting for all my life, but I was just saying it to stall her. It wasn't until later that I realized that it was true. I dunno when she fell for me, but she did." He was staring off into space when he finished that last sentence. But the next one caught me off guard. "And you should have seen her in her orange jumpsuit. I mean damn, she looked good!"  
  
I didn't notice why he said that until I saw a shadow under the door move away quickly after. 'That was probably Mother,' I stated to myself when I saw the smirk on his face. He looked back at me and let out a sigh. I was enjoying his company, something I didn't expect to happen. He placed the book down on my bed and started to flip through the pages.  
  
"How far in this did you get?" He was trying to find my bookmark. I walked over and flipped to the page I was on. He quickly read over the page running his hand down the old paper. I bit my lip and held my hands behind my back as I slowly began to sway back and forth.  
  
"I'm on the last chapter," I calmly replied. I saw him nod, as he closed the book. Getting up, he put it away and turned around to face me. Maybe, I would get used to him being in the castle, but not today. I still didn't know him, not enough, not yet. I headed for the door and looked over my shoulder at him. "Breakfast should be ready by now. Are you coming? Maybe we can talk more then." He simply smiled and walked to me.  
  
"Sure," he stated. "And then before you go to sleep, I'll read you the last chapter of your book. Is that ok with you?" He asked as we both walked through the door. He shut it quietly and looked down at me.  
  
"That'd be great," I said with a warm smile on my face. I reached for his hand as we walked down the hallway to the kitchen. He was different than what I expected, but I was glad. Things were going to be different around the castle…  
  
  
  
(A/N: they've met, and now they're talking!!! O.o;;; ::pulls out bag of popcorn:: I think something's gonna happen... maybe, maybe not, depends on how many of you like it so far. If people actually like it [my God it's amazing if you do!] I promise I wont' do anything to make this like an action/adventure, I'm keeping this pure drama D but umm... Leave your reviews and I'll update sooner! bai bai!) 


	7. Major Author's Note

Author's note:  
  
As most of you must have thought by now, I probably must have died and went to hell after disappearing for so long X.x Truth is, I probably got the worst case of writer's block that has ever hit me. I've actually completed chapter 7, but my rule is that unless if I finish two chapters ahead of what is posted, I can't post anymore. I have no idea why, it's just the way it is. I've also been working on other stories and poems since I've basically hit a hard dead end in my life, and the fact that I'm in my Freshman year of Highschool doesn't help any. I probably won't be able to update a lot during the summer since my brother will be heading off to college and that'll be hard for me to deal with.  
  
Basically, all I want to know right now is should I finish it or not? I really consider this to be one of my best stories, but after everything that has already happened, I've lost the heart to write it. =\ So if you want me to continue, since my site has died and I can't even update it there anymore, just e-mail me or review or damn me to the darkest pits of hell if I don't finish. The damning bit will probably catch my attention the most, but whatever. If not, I'll probably erase my account since I don't really update any of my stories anymore.  
  
I'm sorry to disappoint those who actually liked my writing, but if you were in my shoes (which I pray that no one will have to be.. it's not that it's bad, it's just stressful as shit) you'd understand why. I love all of you that have reviewed and even asked me to let you post my story on your site =) I didn't even think it was *THAT* good.  
  
Ja ne, for now!  
  
~*CrystalyIce*~ aka ~**IceDaggerz**~ 


	8. Times of Change

~**Zidane's POV**~  
  
I looked down at the small girl that was holding my hand as we walked through the castle walls. She seemed to be more light hearted than most could remember; I could slightly tell by the confused and relieved glances that she got as we walked toward the dining room. Her long, dark hair slightly bounced around her face as she half-skipped down the hall. Every time we walked past a window, I could clearly see her blonde highlights that shimmered because of the sun. Even though she looked like she just woke up, because she did, she still looked presentable, but when we got to the dining hall, it wasn't her looks that Garnet was fussing about.  
  
"Steiner, I'm going to get Zidane and Jade… Yes I'll be back so- AH!" she screamed as we suddenly popped in front of her, basically scaring her to death. As she regained her composure, I gave her a small impish grin that showed that not only was that move done intentionally, but I was also glad that it worked. I could tell she was going to scold me, but something stopped her before she even began, and a frown turned into a soft smile when she looked at my right hand side.  
  
I looked down and then heard a faint sound of giggling. Jade was covering her mouth, trying to hide a fit of laughter. "Sorry, Mommy. We didn't mean to scare you that badly! It was his idea anyway!" Jade explained as she looked up at me. I felt a small jab to the stomach as Jade poked me. I looked down at her and gently rubbed the top of her head. Finally I looked back up at Garnet. Holding my breath, I quickly let my eyes skim over her appearance. Even in the morning she was breath taking…  
  
"It's ok, honey." Garnet stated as she bent down to give Jade a kiss on the cheek. "What bothers me is the way your father is dressed! Zidane, couldn't you even put a shirt on?" I had forgotten to put my shirt back on! Damnit! I tried to play it cool, and folded my arms over my chest. She smirked and then looked back down at her daughter, who still stood by my side. "Hun, go sit down for breakfast. I'm going to make sure that your father does as he is told."  
  
Jade looked at her mother with the look in her eyes clearly saying that she didn't want to know what we were talking about. I didn't blame her for not wanting to know either. It wasn't long before she collected the ruffles of her skirt in her hands and slightly jogged into the kitchen. I looked after her, smiling to myself with pride. I had the perfect daughter, who I loved with all my heart, and the perfect wife. Well, I thought she was the perfect wife, until she lightly punched me in the arm.  
  
"Ow," I stated jokingly. "What was that for?" She placed her index finger over my lips and signaled me to be quiet. Grabbing my arm, she pulled me off to a dark corner not far from the kitchen, and pushed my back against the wall. Her petite hands were on my chest, and her long slim fingers were nicely spread out. I could almost feel heat coming from her body when she was that close to me. Her dark hair nicely framed her face and her eyes seemed to glitter in the dim light. While wrapping one arm around her waist, I lifted my other hand and stroked her cheek lightly with my knuckles.  
  
"I was almost afraid that you left me again this morning," she whispered as she grabbed my hand and pressed my palm against her face. She closed her eyes and tilted her head toward the ground. Even though I had come back, she still had fears about me leaving her again. This scar, even I couldn't heal.  
  
"I would never do that, love. I just went to check up on our daughter, since she came into your room this morning." Garnet looked up at me with a surprised and troubled look in her eyes. I could tell what she was thinking, so I answered her question before she even got to ask. "No she didn't see anything, and anyway, be glad it was just her instead of Steiner. If it were Steiner, I would still have to be hiding. You know how he gets when I get 'too' close to you." Kissing the top of her head, I pulled her closer as she listened to my heartbeat.  
  
"We'd better go before Beatrix or Steiner sends someone to look for us." She kissed me lightly on the lips and then pulled away. Before she disappeared into the dining room, I heard her say one thing so casually, yet it almost made me fall to the floor. "I have to have enough time to think of the ceremony when I declare you king. Think of that? King Zidane Tribal…"  
  
King?! She planned on making me KING? If it weren't for the fact that I was leaning against a wall, I surely would have fallen straight to the floor. King… A lot of things came with that title, responsibilities, customs, the castle over flowing with nobles, and the chance to see my Dagger whenever I wanted. Sure, being king wouldn't be all that bad, but am I ready for it, and would the people be ok with it? Garnet and I already had that discussion and she had already made her decision, but the people's opinion still mattered.  
  
I slowly walked into the kitchen, still thinking about what it would be like becoming king. Calling Dagger, 'Queen Garnet Til Alexandros Tribal the 17th' did have a nice ring to it. I would have a ball calling her that, but I was still unsure. Is this what we both wanted? I didn't make up my mind until I looked over at the far end of the table where I saw a young brunette sit.  
  
Jade… I would give up my life just to see her smiling face everyday. I would give anything…  
  
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~**Jade's POV, Almost Two Years Later**~  
  
"A lot has changed," I stated softly as I looked over the balcony. I only saw a glint of purple hair move slightly up and down to my side.  
  
"That is has, Jade. Many things can change in two years time," Eiko replied quietly. I turned toward her with my long bangs hanging in my eyes. She looked over at me, and saw my slight frown. "What's wrong, Jade? What troubles you now?" I bit my lip and held back a sigh. How could I explain this?  
  
I shook my head and gazed at the ground. "I don't know. Something just isn't right. It doesn't have to do with Zidane or anyone else in the castle. I'm just worried about Mother that's all. I just know that something bad is going to happen! I just don't know what. I mean…" I was struggling with words. How could I no be able to explain what I felt? "Can't you feel it, Eiko? Can't you?!"   
  
"Jade, you know nothing is going to be wrong with your mother. Maybe you're just feeling different because you've been an only child up until now. I know most people who are your age and are getting another sibling don't like it very much, but you know how badly your mother and father wanted a baby even though Doctor Tot warned them not to[1]. Just try to be there for your mother now. She needs you to be happy so that she can be happy." Eiko glanced over my shoulder to look at me while she started to braid a section of my hair.  
  
"I thought she only needed Zidane to be happy…"  
  
Eiko paused for a moment and turned me around to look at her. Her face showed a slight sign of disapproval and a frown was etched between her eyebrows. "Now you know that isn't true! Your mother loves you! Zidane loves you! They can't be happy knowing that you're upset, and before you even start to tell me that Zidane doesn't care, he does! It's hard enough for him to be switching status roles, trust me it's not easy going from a peasant to a king, but he now is over his head in a situation that his speed and fighting techniques can't help. His quick thinking and wit barely helps. Seeing you sad and knowing that he can't do anything to help you because you won't even let him try only makes him feel worse. I haven't seen him frown so much in my life before…"  
  
I quickly undid the braid that Eiko had started in my hair and looked over the balcony again. My eyes were closed, fighting back tears that I knew would fall if I opened them again. I could be such a screw up sometimes. I've put so much stress on my mother for years, and now Zidane can't even fully be happy because of me. Such a damn screw up. Sometimes I wish I could just melt away and disappear into the water that surrounds the castle; just melt away, and everything would be fine.  
  
I walked away from Eiko, never looking back, and I ignored her calls for me to return. I didn't deserve to bother anyone anymore. Maybe if I did just disappear, things would get better. My feet slowly picked up pace, and my vision was blurry from the tears that I couldn't hold back. Even though I felt everyone's eyes on me, no one stopped me. No one bothered to ask.  
  
I couldn't stand the feeling. The burn of everyone's stare. Eventually I broke out into an all out sprint, and dashed for the main hall. I couldn't see clearly, but my hearing picked up, and I almost got a sixth sense to tell where everything and everyone was so I didn't crash. I could hear the sound of footsteps after me, but when people tried calling out my name, I couldn't hear what they were saying. I was too absorbed in running. My heart clenched. Oh Gods, what I would give just to make the pain stop!  
  
I could tell that I was close to the front doors soon, and I was so close to escaping, to being free. I reached out for the handle and started to push the heavy doors forward. Why wouldn't they move?! They were never this heavy before! I finally got one open enough to slip through. Light. It was so warm…  
  
I took one step out of the door and prepared to sprint again, but my foot never touched the ground. Instead, a pair of strong arms quickly wrapped themselves around my waist and pulled me off the ground, away from the door, away from the light. A heart-wrenching scream came from my lips, only to be swallowed by a loud sob. I didn't know where my sudden sadness came from, but it was there, pulsing in my soul, only getting stronger with every second. I tried kicking the source that was holding me in hopes to get free, but it was all in vain.  
  
"Let me GO!" I nearly howled as I continued to struggle against the body holding me. I didn't know who it was, but I continued to cry and scream, hoping that I would still have a chance to get away. I wasn't lucky that day…  
  
A tail wrapped itself around my waist, and my struggles stopped. "Jade…" a voice that could only belong to Zidane, whispered into my ear. A quiet sob escaped from my lips and I closed my eyes. I didn't know what I was feeling. I felt safe in his grasp, but I didn't want to be there. I didn't need his pity or his comfort! I was going to struggle against him again, but all my energy was spent, and I didn't want to move anymore.  
  
I don't know when I suddenly became tired, but the next thing I knew, my vision was covered in a whirlpool of black.  
  
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~**Garnet's POV**~  
  
"She tried WHAT?!" I cried out as soon as Steiner brought me the news. Of course, this had to be about the worst time since the baby was almost due, and I was having major mood swings about every five minutes. Steiner didn't reply at first; he must have waited till I calmed down a bit. He was a smart man. After about a minute or so, he calmly repeated what he told me before.  
  
"Jade tried running away, again." Oh yes. This wasn't the first time that she's tried this, but by the way that he said it, I'm guessing that she almost got away, and by the way his voice dropped off at the end, I supposed that Zidane was the one to catch her. I knew then that I had some explaining to do. Zidane has never been around for one of her running away episodes. Hopefully, we wouldn't get into a full blown argument like we often do, more frequently than before since almost anything makes me flip out on the spot.  
  
I turned towards the window and let out a long sigh. A part of me wished that this was all just a really bad dream, but I knew that this was far beyond real. "Where and how is she now?" I asked without turning around. Steiner was silent for a few moments as I idly rubbed the large bulge on my stomach. If I paid enough attention, I could feel the baby kick. Zidane got so excited the first time he felt that…  
  
Steiner cleared his throat. "She's in her room and currently asleep, Your Highness. Zidane is… well… coping with it while Beatrix is calmly waiting by her side until she wakes up. Lady Eiko is currently trying to seek out Zidane's whereabouts. You know how easily he can disappear when he wants to just get away. Everyone else in the castle is back in order. I'm not surprised since the only person that is not accustomed to this by now is Zidane." I didn't' reply, but then again, I didn't have to. Steiner already knew what I was going to ask of him. "… I'll report as soon as I receive word on either Jade or His Majesty. Will that be all?"  
  
"Yes, Steiner…"  
  
I heard him turn towards the door, but he suddenly stopped. "… Don't be hard on her, Garnet. Even though it's been two years, it's perfectly understandable how she would still have such a hard time coping and understanding everything that's going on. After all, she's still so young…" I slowly turned around and faced him. A sad smile played across my lips before I spoke. He only spoke the truth.  
  
"I know, Steiner… I know." With nothing left to say, he clicked his heels together and gave me a professional salute. No matter how much he acted like a fatherly figure to me, he still held his general status. I never really had the chance to tell him how much I respected him for that, but there was always time for that later.  
  
Now I had a choice to make. Should I go check up on my daughter, or should I go ask Eiko if she's found Zidane yet? Considering the fact that Steiner would inform me if anything comes up about the whereabouts of Zidane, that I was to be notified, I decided to go check up on Jade. If I'm lucky, she might be awake by now.  
  
Finally with my mind set, I gathered a small portion of my skit in my hands, and I briskly walked down through a couple long corridors to my child's room. The door was barely open, but it was cracked enough so that a soft melody could be heard outside of the room. 'Her music box,' I concluded to myself since it was specially made to create that light of sound and that specific tune. Gently pushing open the door, I first saw Beatrix sitting on a small stool and then Jade sitting upright on her bed with the music box in her hands. Her eyes fixated on the small object.  
  
I made my steps into the room just loud enough so that I was noticed, but not too loud that it seemed like I was purposely making noise. Both of their heads turned toward me as soon as I gained attention. Beatrix was the only one to rise.  
  
"Your Highness," she addressed with a slight bow coming from her waist. I simply returned the gesture with a small nod of my head.  
  
Looking at Jade, I spoke evenly to Beatrix with emotion hidden from my voice and my eyes. "You are dismissed, Beatrix. See to it that Zidane is found before dark. I don't this to become any bigger than it truly has to be. After that, I want the order for dinner to be made and then you and Steiner are no longer needed. You may take the rest of the day off."  
  
She hesitated for a few seconds before replying. I assumed that she was contemplating over my words and making sure that I knew what I was doing. Normally it would have taken longer, but both she and Steiner had finally gotten the idea that I was no longer a baby around my twenty-sixth birthday. She replied with a quite, 'Yes, M'lady,' and left the room without another word. Now it was just Jade and me staring at each other in complete silence. Both of our faces were blank and voided of emotion.  
  
I sat down on the edge of her bed as soon as the music box discontinued the melody, but for another two minutes, neither one of us made a sound louder than us breathing. Finally, I broke the silence with a simple question that I assumed did not have such a simple answer.  
  
"Why?" At first she didn't respond, so I tried asking again. "Why, Jade? You've never given me a reason before, so grant me one now. Why?" Again, she didn't respond, but this time she looked away-in shame maybe? I wasn't too sure because her eyes were firmly shut, and they were the only things that gave away how she was truly feeling.  
  
Again, we sat in silence. I was pretty surprised how I was able to keep my anger in check because all the other times I would have been yelling at her by now. I was about to get up and leave, but I whisper from her stopped me in my tracks.  
  
"… I don't know…"  
  
That was not an answer I was willing to hear or accept.  
  
"I wanted to stop being such a bother to everyone." This gained my undivided attention. Bother? What was she thinking? I didn't get to ask because eventually the words just poured out of her like water flowing down a river. "After talking with Eiko, I felt that everyone in the castle was in major stress because of me. I couldn't make everyone in the castle happy because I never really learned how to get along with Zidane. This made him mad, you mad and everyone else that really matters to me mad at me. I couldn't take it anymore! So I just thought that if I got up and disappeared, then everyone wouldn't have to worry about me bothering them anymore. Maybe everyone would actually be happy… So I tried running away."  
  
I sat in silence as she explained her position to me, but that didn't mean that didn't want to slap her for thinking that way. Quite the opposite really, but then again, I was never one to believe that hitting a child was the right way to discipline them. Instead, I took the route that I normally take now to vent out my stress. Yelling.  
  
"How could you think something like that?" I almost ended up screaming. She visibly cringed from the volume of my voice. "Don't you ever think something like that again! You running away won't solve anything! And we love you! WE love you! All of us! Do you know how scared I would be, Beatrix, Steiner, and Eiko would be? Do you even know how scared ZIDANE would be? Whether you want to accept it or not, Zidane loves you, maybe more so than I do!" By now tears where streaming down my cheeks. All the pent up stress that I had just overflowed.  
  
I soon hugged her and buried her head in my chest while I cradled her tightly. Her own tears soaked my dress while I kissed the top of her head murmuring, 'Never again. Please, never again,' over and over to her. I was acting as if I really had lost my daughter, but it didn't matter. I was panicking, and the only thing that held my sanity together was the sensation of her small, soft body wrapped up in my arms. No matter what has happened, or what was going to happen, this feeling was enough.  
  
It would always be enough.  
  
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~**Zidane's POV**~  
  
My nerves were still taunt and my heart was still drumming in my ears when Eiko literally dragged me back to the castle. I was still hyped, but I couldn't remember exactly what for. I felt like fighting a thousand Necrons, but I had a feeling that it wouldn't be enough to tire me out. I needed to run, scream, jump, fight, laugh, cry, and sleep all at the same time. I needed to find Dagger, but I had a feeling that I didn't really want to see her right now. I was mad at her for something, but my excess energy made my mind feel fuzzy.  
  
What had made me hyped in the first place? And why would I be frustrated with Dagger? Something she didn't tell me… Something important…  
  
Castle… Running… Jade…  
  
Jade…  
  
And just like that my whole world's puzzle pieces clicked together. Jade! She tried running away, and yet everyone acted so neutrally to it. If I remember correctly, no one even tried to stop her. What the Hell was going on!? By the looks of it, this sort of thing has seemed to happen before, and if it has, then Dagger must surely know about it, but one question remained unclear. Why the Hell wasn't I informed? Was it really not that important that they had to avoid telling me? What were they planning on doing? Dropping it in my lap casually over, let's say, tea?  
  
'Oh, by the way, Zidane, or Your Majesty, you're only daughter has tried running away on more than one occasion. Do you want some more sugar with that?"  
  
Is THAT what they were PLANNING to do?! Well, to Hell with that!  
  
Before I even realized it, I was way ahead of Eiko. How long have I been running for? And when exactly did I storm through the castle doors because last I remember I was outside in the castle garden; I wasn't in the Eastern Corridor! Didn't matter. I was heading to Jade's room by purely instinct. I had a feeling that I would find both Jade and Dagger in there. Sure enough, I was right.  
  
When I stopped outside the door, I heard the sound of two women sobbing. One sounded like Dagger, so I figured it was her, the other kept saying, 'I'm sorry, Mommy,' again and again. Must be Jade. Bingo. Since waiting was never really my thing, I took that moment and opportunity to burst into the room with an almost primal and deadly look in my eyes. I was both outraged and completely calm. Almost the same feeling that one goes through when in trance.  
  
The sound of me bursting into the room must have caught their attention because soon they were both staring at me with wide open, yet teary eyes. Some part of me demanded to show them sympathy and compassion, but the other part of my brain wanted to be neither sympathetic nor compassionate. To say the least, this uncaring side of me could be legitimately labeled as insane.  
  
For a few agonizing seconds, there silence. Absolute dead silence. I think both my daughter and my wife were trying to figure out what I was thinking. Whatever answer Dagger came up with, she somehow knew that I wanted to speak to her, and her alone. I think it would take a complete idiot to not notice that I was pissed. In fact, I wasn't just pissed. Oh no, what I felt now was far beyond pissed.  
  
"A word, please, Your Highness?" I purred in a very sultry yet deadly tone of voice. I had no idea where my self-control was coming from, but I thanked my lucky stars for it. I just pray that I don't end up smacking my beautiful Dagger. As mad as I might be, I'd rather die than hurt her.  
  
Thankfully, she was in a fully cooperative mood and didn't need further convincing to move. She must have figured that talking only when she was given permission to do so would be the best route right now since the look on my face must have clearly shown that I was not in a fluctuating mood right now. I turned around and pointed at Jade. With a completely emotionless tone, I stated, "I will discuss this situation with you later."  
  
It wasn't really Jade that I was frustrated with. It was everyone else in the damn castle that thought it would be a good idea to keep this little snippet of information hidden from me. I left the room without another word and surprisingly didn't slam the door when I left. The image of Jade's tightly clenched jaw was still fresh in my mind, and I would never forget the look of fear that was in her eyes.  
  
  
(A/N: Sometimes, people do inspire me =) ) 


	9. Ils Sont Disperus Ce Soir

(A/N: Sorry that this chapter is so short, but I took a plot detour after listening to "Sweet Surrender" by Sarah McLachlan (good song, go listen) so the story might be different than what I expected. And the chapter title means "They have disappeared tonight" in french. If it's a wrong translation, sue me. It's only my second year of french :P)  
  
  
  
~**Zidane's POV**~  
  
"The HELL is going on here?" I snapped as soon as Dagger and I got to our own bedroom. She took her time answering. Maybe she wanted me to calm down first, but I was in no mood to be calm. I wanted answers and I wanted them fast. She quietly sat down in a chair near her dresser as I folded my arms over my chest. Right now the only thing that was keeping me calm was the fact that I kept breathing deeply.  
  
She looked up at me with her eyes now dry and her face completely voided of emotion. I was surprised that she was very calm. I have never really flipped out on her and she took it with a grain of salt. For about a minute I waited for an answer. "Well?" I finally asked after another two minutes went by.  
  
She looked at me straight in the eyes. "I didn't expect her to do it again." Great answer. Not the one I wanted to hear though. I waved my hand in a gesture to get her to keep explaining. She didn't quite get what I was asking, so I had to vocalize it.  
  
"And how long as this been happening?"  
  
"… About three or four years…"  
  
"I see… And why haven't you told me?"  
  
She paused and looked at the ground. Why did I have a feeling that I wasn't going to enjoy her answer much. "I didn't think it was important." Lovely. I gritted my teeth and bit my tongue to hold back my smart-ass remark. Only for her, though. I would only control myself for her. She could probably see how much I was trying to restrain myself, so she continued to talk. "It hasn't happened for over two years, so I thought as long as she didn't do it again, I didn't have to mention it. I thought she had stopped because you came back! I didn't think that-"  
  
"For your sake, and your sake alone, I'm not going to yell at you. Now, has there been anything else that you've been hiding from me?" She shook her head. "… Good… Now I'm going to speak with my daughter, then I'll be gone for a while. I promise I'll get back before midnight, ok?"  
  
"Zidane," she tried pleading, but I waved her off with a wave of my hand.  
  
"You stay here and don't get over stressed," I commanded with a stern sounding voice. My tone and face softened up a bit. "I promise I'll come back. You're tired, ne? Go to sleep." I walked over to her and gently placed a kiss on her forehead before turning around to head for the double door.  
  
She stood up from her chair and took a step toward me. "I love you, Zidane," she softly said. I stopped for a moment at the door and sadly smiled to myself. Without turning around, I started to walk out again. Before I closed the door, I responded with a simple two-word sentence.  
  
"I know."  
  
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~**Later That Night**~  
  
Garnet idly stared at the night sky. Her right hand was lightly stroking the bulge on her stomach while her mind was elsewhere. The day had been long and hard, and even though it was approaching ten at night, Zidane had still not returned from when he left about five hours ago. He had talked with Jade, and she soon fell asleep in her room with the door locked and the melody of her music box drifting underneath and through the cracks of the door.  
  
The whole castle had been quiet for some time. It was as if everyone knew that it would be better if no one talked. Normally it was filled with conversation and laughter all throughout the night, but now there was only silence. Even the town was unusually quiet for this time of night. It seemed as if everyone was already sleeping, but Garnet could never sleep like this. Her busy mind kept her awake with several thoughts and questions.  
  
It was times like this that she reflected on when she first got a taste of real freedom with Zidane and the rest of the crew. She especially remembered the time that she was standing on her Uncle's watchtower and Zidane had broken through security just to find out where she was. Even life was dangerous then, she was actually allowed to be carefree for a moment.  
  
A cool breeze gently swept over her and blew a few strands of hair into her eyes, but her focus was set on the town beyond the lake and all the lights that lit up the streets. Without a sound, she picked up a rock and tossed it into the lake. The sound of it hitting the water was barely heard, but the ripples could easily been seen in the light. With a heavy sigh, she placed her chin in her hand and stared at the rippling water below.  
  
"What troubles you now, Your Highness?" asked a calm and concerned voice from behind her. Garnet didn't even turn around, but she turned her head slightly to the side to get a look at who was speaking to her. When she saw, she turned her head back to the water, and flicked another small pebble into its dark waters.  
  
"Everything and nothing is troubling me because it always does. Everything and nothing," she slowly replied. Without turning, she continued to speak. "What brings you to this side of the castle, Beatrix? Steiner looking for me again?"  
  
Beatrix shook her head. "You know that he's stopped watching you like a hawk for a while. I just came to see how you were, and no one knew where you were, so I assumed that you would come here." Garnet slowly nodded. After clearing her throat, she began to speak again. "I also came to update you on some things. Lady Eiko has returned home to Lindblum, and your daughter is still asleep."  
  
"Any word of Zidane?" Garnet asked cautiously. Beatrix just shook her head again.  
  
"None, yet. He managed to slip out of the castle unnoticed. No one knows where he went or when he's coming back. In fact, very few know that he even left. In some ways, he hasn't changed."  
  
"And I would never want him to," Garnet whispered. Beatrix frowned at the tome of voice she was using. It reminded her of the seven-year period when he wasn't around. Garnet had been very distant and quiet, and Beatrix never wanted to see her act like that ever again. She walked up beside Garnet and placed a hand on her shoulder. She knew that she didn't really have to say anything, but she also knew that it needed to be said.  
  
"You know that he won't do that again, and you know that he loves you. Stop acting like you did back then. You have neither the time nor the energy to be worrying, especially when you're carrying a baby in as dangerous of a situation that you are in. I truly wish for your happiness, but sometimes I wish that you had listened to Dr. Tot. Jade has been worrying about you for sometime, but she's never said anything about it to anyone else but Eiko. You should talk to her more often, even though I know that you talk to he a lot." Garnet nodded and twisted a lock of hair around her finger.  
  
"I'm just worried… Worried that one day I might wake up and he'll be gone forever… I never could get rid of that fear, but I guess I'll just have to. The changes come too frequently." Beatrix nodded and just quietly stood by her, staring at the water.  
  
"You know, I'll always be here to assist you, Garnet."  
  
"I know, Beatrix… I know." They stood in silence and watched the water gently lap against the side of the bay. It was a cloudless night and there was a perfect reflection of the moon on the water's surface. They stood like that for a few minutes before one of the castle guards came rushing towards them.  
  
"Your Highness! The Princess is missing from her room and no one has a clue where she could have gone. No one knows how long she's been gone, I'm afraid. We just got word-" Garnet didn't stick around to hear the rest; she had already gathered a portion of her skirt and made a mad dash to Jade's room. The fear in her heart pushed her forward, even though subconsciencly she knew that she shouldn't be straining her body the way that she was. At the moment, that didn't matter.  
  
She burst into Jade's room and saw that her music box was smashed on the ground; the part of the box that play music broken in several places. Jade's bed was unmade, and there was no sign of her in the room or the time that she left at all.  
  
Garnet's eyes darted around the room, and she walked over to Jade's dresser where a glass goblet with a broken chip inside it stood. Slowly with trembling hands, she picked up the goblet and glanced at the shining red object in the glass. The chip was covered in blood.  
  
Gasping in surprise, she took a step back and dropped the glass, watching the fragile shape plummet to the ground and separate into thousands of tiny shards. Looking down at her hands, she noticed that her hands were stained with some of the blood that must have been on the outside of the goblet. Quickly, she turned and ran out of the room in alarm.  
  
"S-Steiner!" she cried with tears in her eyes as she ran off to find her head general.  
  
  
(A/N: I'm leaving you all with a cliff hanger and a slight plot change because I'm evil and I want to take this story a slightly different route than I orginally planned. I'd say the story is about 2/3 of the way done... maybe only one half if this plot change takes me deeper than I orgianlly planned to go. I do know the ending, and I do have a general idea of what I want to happen next, but it might take a while for me to sort all my thoughts out. Don't kill me quite yet. And for the [1] in last chapter, the thing about Dr. Tot telling them not to have a kid, that isn't really explained, and I won't go into detail since that'll spoil part of the story, BUT what I can say it that it was unadvised since (I'm going by Midieval BS here) having a baby at an older age (and 24 was concidered old back then since people were lucky if they lived till 30, think of it, 50 was ANCIENT lol) was generally an unhealthy thing and no one knew the outcome of what might happen if they did have a child, aka the survival of the child/mother post labor wasn't assured. R/R plz, sank you =) ) 


	10. Weary Premonition

Chapter 9: Weary Premonition   
  
  
  
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~**Jade's POV**~  
  
Walking slowly, I let my eyes scan the area before I brought my attention back to my hand. I don't even know how it got cut like that, but I figured that I should put it somewhere before my mom came to check up on me. She would have blown up the situation bigger than it really was. I did need to see someone for my hand though. The blood that was slowly trailing down my arm was starting stain my dress.  
  
I needed to find Zidane and fast. I knew that I was the only person that could rightfully explain what was going on to him. I could tell that my mother's explanation was not what he wanted to hear. Over the years, I guess I picked up a certain sixth sense about that, and I don't even know why. I didn't even know why I was so concerned for him at the moment, but I could tell that things haven't been easy on him since he came back, and I'm sorry to say that I haven't really helped out with that at all.  
  
By now, I was way past the castle walls and I was starting to head toward the most that was around the castle. By now, they had stopped letting people go to and from the castle, so I assumed that Zidane couldn't have gone far, plus it wasn't like him to normally run off to town like that. But then again, he always did like to head down to Ruby's theatre when he was feeling particularly down. If he wasn't at the castle, he was surely there.  
  
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Jade slowly continued forward even though she knew that she was starting to feel weaker. 'The cut was not as shallow as I though,' she meagerly mumbled to herself as her steps slowly became heavier and prolonged. She had tried to cover her wound with a torn piece of cloth, but it did little to stop the flowing blood, and there was plenty of blood. She almost stopped for a long while because her mind was so hazy, yet she didn't even notice. To her, she was still moving. Very slowly, but still moving, nonetheless.  
  
Time started to pass in bursts, no longer steady. Moving quickly, yet moving painfully slow. It didn't matter to her though; she was out to find Zidane no matter what the costs. If she had a clear head on her shoulders, she would have realized that she never really had a childhood, and she ended up maturing much faster than she was supposed to. It was that sort of thing that her mother picked up, not her. She was always the one to take care of herself, and even from a very young age, she started to fend for herself without the help of Steiner or any of the other guards. For this reason, she was allowed to have the freedom that she was currently using, and for the first time she was thankful for it.  
  
A few more minutes of slow staggering and harsh breath followed before she finally decided that she needed a while to sit down. Her hastened movement only meant that her blood would be moving more quickly, and therefore making her hand bleed more than necessary. Approaching the river that would lead her into town, she stopped to sit on a rock and redress her wound after washing off the drying blood. She had never done such a thing before, but she had seen it done, and didn't know enough magic to heal it without first aid. Seeing that her dress was pretty much ruined as it was, she tore off her sleeves, partially because it was rather hot that night and partially because if she used up anymore of the bottom of her dress, it would have come up to her waist. She soaked these makeshift bandages and tied them tightly around her hand and wrist, but not without a small hiss of pain to show her discomfort.  
  
While all this was going on, she was moving quicker than she would have liked because of an eerie presence that she felt near by. It was like something dark and quiet was watching her from a distance, yet close enough to see exactly what she was doing and even her facial expressions that went along with it. Thinking it better that she didn't pay any mind to it, she went about her business even though her actions were now filled with fear and tension. She didn't like the fact that she couldn't see it, yet it could see her.  
  
Just as soon as she was about to get up and cross the river to head into town, a voice behind her sounded and made her turn sharply. "I don't see why a person of your age needs to be sneaking into town. After all, you don't drink." She looked up and saw Zidane standing there with a cigarette in his hand and a look of slight humor and disapproval on his face. His eyes, however, were swimming with different thoughts, feelings, and emotions.  
  
She eyed him carefully, not really sure whether to reply to his statement or not. "Since when do you smoke?" she asked, eyeing the object in his hand. He took a quick drag and slowly exhaled, not really to get a breath of air, but more so to relieve his tension. He shrugged slightly and looked at the ground.  
  
"About a year ago. Terrible habit really, but I needed something to calm my nerves and keep my hands busy. Piss poor excuse, I know, but I don't have a better one, really." She stared at him for a short while with her face blank, but he could tell that she was making another silent judgment against him. By now, he had gotten used to it. "By the way," he suddenly said to break the silence, "if I ever catch you doing it, you're going to be in big trouble." He paused for a moment. "Regardless of your age."  
  
She raised her eyebrow as she stared at him before looking out at the water. Nothing was said between them for a long while before she broke the silence again. "Why did you leave?"  
  
He looked down at her with a puzzled yet completely understanding look. "I mean every time. This time. Why did you leave?" Taking another drag he now looked up at the sky, as if looking for an answer. To be truthful, he didn't really have one. Exhaling again, he closed his eyes and just listened to the sounds around him, as if absorbing everything like this was the last chance that he had.  
  
"I guess," he began slowly in a surprisingly quiet voice, "I haven't really grown up yet, which I find quite surprising, since I have a daughter that acts older than I do, and yet I have a lot more weight on my shoulders. I do it for an escape, a way out. I always end up causing more trouble than I intended." His face was filled with a sorrow that she hadn't noticed before, or was that because he hadn't shown it before? Jade didn't know, but it was something that she wanted to touch up on later.  
  
"We should head back," Jade suddenly stated. Zidane nodded in agreement, but didn't follow her when she started to walk away. When she noticed that a he wasn't walking behind her, she turned around and stared at his back. This was the first time that she noticed that his hair shined silver in the moon light like hers did, and she finally noticed how long his hair really was. Almost down to the end of his shoulder blades, she noted. "Are you coming?"  
  
He shook his head and didn't bother to look back at her. "Nah, I want to stay out here for a while. Ya know, just look at the water and stuff." She noticed that his joker mask was back on to hide his emotions that were so open before, but she didn't comment on them, and she didn't argue. When he finally heard her footsteps fade in the distance, he threw his cigarette into the water after taking one last drag.  
  
Silently looking up at the moon, he let the cool wind gently make his golden mane sway around his face. Closing his eyes and letting out a soft whisper, "Please, God, tell me what to do…"  
  
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~**Garnet's POV**~  
  
For the first time in a long time, I sat on my throne, looking out at the scene before me with my fingers restlessly tapping against my armrest. I'm sure it was well past midnight, but I was too busy playing with the goblet that I had found in Jade's room. Not really playing with it, but looking at it intently as if it would tell me something, anything.  
  
Two hours had passed, and still no word from either of the two. This was nerve wrecking, and I refused to get some sleep, regardless of what either Steiner and Beatrix insisted. I wasn't sleeping until at least one of the two came home, only because I was hoping that they had found each other and would know where the other one was. But even that was wishful thinking, and after the past seven years, I was not friendly with the idea of luck.  
  
There has been very little in my life that has dealt with luck. And for that reason, I refuse to believe in such a blatant lie.  
  
I was surprised how calm I was at that moment, considering how I nearly went insane with worry about my daughter. I know fully well that she is almost ten years old, but that doesn't mean that I will suddenly let her leave the castle without any word, whatsoever, with a bleeding wound, nonetheless! It was too much for me to handle at this moment of time; I wasn't allowed to get overly stressed due to the fact that I was still pregnant.  
  
Just as I was about to get up, Beatrix ran into the room. "Your Highness," she said, "the Princess has returned." I let out a sigh of relief, happy that my daughter had come home.  
  
"I want her wound cleaned and dressed at once, but do you have any word on Zidane?" I asked tentatively as I rose to my feet. I needed to at least find out something about him. Anything at this point besides the dreaded sentence, 'I don't know,' would have sufficed. Beatrix gave me a small smile, which helped ease off some of the tension that was beginning to build in my shoulders.  
  
"Jade said that she saw him shortly before coming back. I'm not quite sure what she said since she talked to Steiner and not me, but I think that he should be heading back soon, or at least be back by tomorrow. Not even she knew much about what he was going to do." I nodded and started to walk towards the station where our healers worked. I figured that I might be able to use some of my magic to help the wound close more quickly.  
  
"By the way," Beatrix said quickly before I got the chance to exit the room. I turned around to face her with a puzzled look on my face. "Did you happen to know that Zidane smokes? It was just something that I happened to overhear when Jade was talking to Steiner." I slowly shook my head and raised my eyebrow. It was a strange concept to me since I had never seen him do it, nor did he ever have the smell on him. I would have to ask him about it later.  
  
"Thank you," I said quickly before I turned around to take my leave. The halls were fairly quiet since most people went directly to bed after Jade was found, but many of the guards were still awake, along with a couple nurses that were tending to Jade's needs. I quietly poked my head into their station and almost instantly noticed Jade's attire.  
  
"Jade, what happened?" I asked, rushing to her side and wrapping my arms around her, forgetting that I still held the goblet in my hand. She, however, noticed it right away.  
  
She looked up at me, and asked, "Why do you have that? I left that in my room, but why are you holding it?" I quickly motioned to the nurses to leave the room with a silent understanding that I would take care of everything from this point onward. They quickly bowed their heads before shuffling out of the room.  
  
"It was how I knew you were missing. I went into your room to tuck you in, and I only saw this with your blood in it, and that glass shard. What happened?" I asked more fiercely this time. She took the goblet from me with her uninjured hand as I healed her cut. She let the blue light fade from the room before answering.  
  
"I don't really remember how it happened. I was just upset that Zidane-"  
  
"He's your father," I cut in quickly.  
  
"Zidane," she snapped, giving me a slight glare, "had left without saying anything. I was holding the goblet, and that was when I saw him wandering towards town. I must have dropped it because when I looked down I saw that a shard of it had broken off. That was when I leaned down to pick it up, but I guess I must have cut my hand. I wanted to heal it, but I also wanted to follow Zidane, so I just put it on my desk and headed out without telling anyone."  
  
For now, I would accept her story even though I could tell that not everything played out the way that she described it. It was good enough. I nodded at her, and then picked her up in my arms. It wasn't something that I had done for a long while, and I could tell it was something that I wasn't going to be doing for a long time either. Even so, I decided that I would give her a bath and carry her off to her room since she must have been tired from the long day.  
  
While walking in the corridors, I looked out one of the grand windows and noticed how pretty the moon looked in the cloudless sky. Something inside me told me that I should start appreciating the smaller and simpler things in life again. For some reason…  
  
I felt that I didn't have long to do so anymore…  
  
  
  
(A/N: I am REALLY sorry that this chapter took a long time to come out, but the thing is, I have so many ideas, and I don't know how to put them together. So I decided to do a lot of time gaps in the next chapter. I normally hate, HATE doing that, mind you, but in this case I have to. Bear with me here. Anyway, feed my ego by reviewing and I might write faster. =) ) 


	11. The Meeting of Two Ends

~**Zidane's POV**~  
  
I don't know how long I had stared at the moon that night, but it was something that I felt that I desperately needed. It didn't calm my mind or give me a state of peace, but I felt… happier just looking at it. Too much had been happening recently, and I know that I'm slightly paranoid because Dagger is supposed to have the baby any day now, and Jade and I still barely know each other even though we've been living under the same roof for about two years now. She's almost ten. God, how quickly she's grown up.  
  
I really thought that we would be able to hit it off two years ago when I finished reading the play to her, but I don't know. Something didn't click, and we've barely spoken to each other since even though I know that she didn't mind me reading to her in the least. I don't know what happened, and in a way I don't want to know. And recently she's been running off for no reason, and yet I can't even say that I'm not her partner in crime on this. I've been running away for no reason, and I guess I'm just not setting a good example for her. Everything has been so much harder since I came back, but I'll be damned if I ever leave again.  
  
I'm lucky that Dagger has taken care of most of the political work for me to do, but I still feel bad for letting her take care of it all. I know as their king I should act more like it, but it's just not my style, and I only dress the part when I have to at noble gatherings, and even then I get the chance to leave early.  
  
I started to walk back with a lot on my mind. I knew that something was going to happen in the near future, and I could tell that Jade sensed it, too, when I looked into her eyes. It was just something behind them that I could read. A mutual understanding, in a way. It sends shivers down my spine and even haunts my dreams, which is why sometimes I can't even sleep at night. I haven't really told anyone about that, but I can tell that Dagger is beginning to wonder why I'm never there when she wakes up in the morning. I don't want to hurt her, but in a way I don't think that I can possibly hurt her more than I already have.  
  
I think I stayed out there all night, just looking at the moon fall and the sunrise. I didn't want to head back for I knew something was going to happen that day. Something terrible, something great, I really didn't know, but I would have to face it sooner or later, so what better time than the present, ne?  
  
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Jade sat outside the room while she listened to the doctors work with her mother as quickly as possible. It was hard for her to hear them since her mother's cries droned out any sound that came from the room. Her water had broken sometime earlier that day, and now she was about fifteen hours into labor. Her mother's water breaking was very unexpected considering that the baby came very early. It was about a month early, in fact, something that was rarely heard of. She wasn't allowed in the room with her mother because the doctors claimed that she was, 'too young,' and would, 'distract them from doing their job.' It didn't matter though. Jade didn't want to go in there and see her mother like that, anyway. She probably would have started to cry.  
  
A nurse quickly rushed out of the room and darted her head from left to right. Looking down, she spotted Jade and quickly kneeled by her side. "Darlin'," she breathed quickly while grabbing a hold of Jade's shoulder. "Listen to me. I need you… to go find Beatrix. Tell her… her majesty needs her… to find the King. Please, my lady… be quick." Jade nodded and sprang to her feet while the nurse rushed back into the delivery room. It was only then that she had realized that Zidane was still missing from the castle. It had been over a day since he was last seen and she was desperately hoping that he hadn't left Alexandria.  
  
She ran down the nearest flight of stairs, pulling her dress up slightly so that she wouldn't trip over it on her way down. Steiner was standing at the bottom of the stairs looking worried. Once he heard the footsteps, he turned around and looked up at his young princess.  
  
"Why are you in such a hurry?" he asked as she finally reached the bottom steps. Stopping and focusing her energy for a moment, she puts two of her fingers on each of her temples and closed her eyes for a moment. She tried using her power to sense the auras around her to try to track down Beatrix. It was something that she rarely used and very few people knew about. They was no reason for them to know about it anyway, so the whole discussion about it was always kept under wraps. A few moments later, her eyes snapped open and were a dark brown before they faded back into their light blue.  
  
"I can't talk, Steiner. I need to find Beatrix!" she yelled over her shoulder as she raced by him out into the courtyard. She saw Beatrix standing in front of a few guards that were reporting in from their duties. "Beatrix!" she called out as she ran up to her and almost crashing into her legs. Beatrix looked down at her with a confused look on her face while the rest of the female guards that were standing there spread out to continue their search. "Have you found any hint of where Zidane could be yet?" Jade asked, still slightly out of breath.  
  
Beatrix shook her head before answering, "We're still looking for him, but the guards that were just here reported that they had seen him walking his way back saying that he was on his way and should be back within a little while. Why do you ask?"  
  
Jade didn't reply to that and just asked, "Do you think you could cast float on me for a short while?" Beatrix stared at her for a moment before Jade clarified her reasoning. "I think I can get a wider range on locating his aura if I can get to higher ground, and you know I can't climb that well with my hand in its current condition."  
  
"As you wish, your Highness," she calmly stated before she started to case the spell. "I just hope for Her Majesty's sake that this works." She clasped her hands together and a white aura surrounded her and Jade's body. Slowly, Jade began to be lifted off the ground and higher into the air. When she became high enough so that she could look over the trees, she placed her hands on her temples and concentrated on Zidane's aura, which was much different from other people's.  
  
Her eyebrows knitted together in concentration as she tried searching for him. It was harder than usual because she didn't even know where to look, but at this height with her range, she could have probably reach into a small section of the town across the river. Several minutes had passed by of her searching, and she couldn't even pick up a small hint of where he was. The white light around her that made her float was slowly starting to fade. Beatrix yelled from beneath her, "Your Highness! You better hurry up because I can't hold you up there much longer!"  
  
Jade nodded before she tried expanding her efforts in order to get at least a small hint of where he was. Just before the light around her fully disappeared, she finally locked on to his aura, which was now rushing towards the castle and heading into the front doors, but that wasn't the only thing that she picked up. Her eyes snapped open before she let out a piercing scream of pain that seemed to echo throughout the lands surrounding the castle.  
  
It was then that Beatrix lost her concentration, and Jade plummeted to the ground. The wind whipped her hair around her face as she began her journey towards the ground. Normally, she would have whipped her tail so that she could go upright, but the pain that had shocked her nearly knocked her unconscious, and all her senses were muddled together.  
  
Luckily, Steiner was near by when he heard the princess scream before she started to fall and he managed to catch her before she hit the ground while one of the near by guards was helping Beatrix regain her balance. She too had felt a small portion of the pain that Jade had felt since they were partially linked in magic at the time, but she was only dazed by it and not really affected. Beatrix got back on her feet and rushed over to Steiner and Jade's side to see how the princess was doing. Normally, even with the connection, they weren't able to feel the same pain like they did, but it had been strong enough just to reach Beatrix without doing any actual harm to her.  
  
"Are you alright, Your Highness?" Steiner asked as he brushed a few strands of hair out of her pale face. He looked over her quickly, and noticed that she wasn't hurt by the fall, but her horn on her head was glowing a strange reddish color. Beatrix placed her hand on her horn and pulled it back quickly when she noticed that she felt the same pain again when she touched it.  
  
"Jade. Jade?" she asked as she rested her hand on her forehead, making sure not to touch her horn again, to see if she had a fever at all. Nothing, as far as she could tell, and the princess's eyes were still closed. She was going to call out her name again, but her eyes suddenly snapped open again, and her horn flashed bright red before fading into its normal ivory color. A sharp whimper left her mouth as her eyes quickly filled with tears before they spilled over her cheeks. She quickly curled into a ball against Steiner and started rocking her body in his arms with small gasps and sobs coming from her.  
  
No one knew what was going on with her, but she kept crying and sobbing with nothing to hint at what she was so sad about, but Beatrix knew that it had something to do with what happened. She leaned closer to Jade to ask her what happened when she was up in the air, but as she leaned in closer, she heard the small mantra Jade was whispering to herself over and over again as she rocked her body in Steiner's arms.  
  
"Don't let her leave me… Don't take her from me, please…"  
  
~*-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-*~  
~**One Week Later**~  
  
Jade sat in her mother's room, looking out the window with a peaceful expression on her face. Even though she looked peaceful enough, a boiling rage and a heart filled with contempt and sadness was beating within her chest. So much had happened in the past week, and yet it seemed like nothing had changed at all. Even if the situation was now completely different from what it once was. Everything was now different, and there would never be a way to change it back to what it once was.  
  
She was now the Queen of Alexandria, officially the youngest one to ever hold that position, and she was only turning ten years old in a couple of weeks. What had happened that she had to hold that rank? It was something that no one expected, and yet everyone hoped that it would never happen.  
  
During the sixteenth hour of Queen Garnet's labor, she had passed away. The doctors were lucky enough to be able to save the baby before it, too, had died. It was a young baby boy, which still remained unnamed. The King, Zidane, arrived into the delivery room moments after Garnet had died, and that was when Jade had screamed in the courtyard not too far away. The whole scene was fairly tragic to everyone that was involved. Not many knew what had happened to Zidane after he came in to see his wife was dead, but from the gossip that was being spread around the nurses that were in the delivery room at the time, supposedly Zidane had held his wife's body after they had saved the baby and was rocking her in his arms, softly whispering, "Don't let her leave me… Don't take her from me, please…"  
  
He had stayed like that, just rocking her and crying for several minutes, not willing to move nor release her from his grasp. Even though they wanted him to see the baby, they knew it was better to just let him grieve for some time. After all, he had just lost one of the few things that he really cared about in the world, and it was later said by a few of his friends that Garnet was one of the few things that he had left going for him.  
  
He disappeared not long after, maybe a few hours after she had died, and no one had heard of him since. Since then, Jade and Beatrix had been left to take care of Jade's baby brother, 'The Young Prince,' as most called him since they had nothing else to call him at the time. It was hard, and the only person that Jade managed to be able to talk to throughout all this time was Beatrix even though most of the time was spent crying.  
  
Lady Eiko was supposed to come and visit in a few days with Regent Cid and Lady Helda so that they could come and pay their condolences, not to mention help out Jade with everything that she needed. Cid had also said that he was willing to help her run a few things for a while until she was old enough to handle everything on her own, which by the way things were looking, wouldn't be too long since she was already mature for her age. They just felt bad for her because of everything that she has had to go through since the beginning of her life.  
  
Now was just a time for Jade to sit by herself and try to collect her thoughts. Her eyes seemed empty and hollow, and as rare as it was to see her smile before, she now never smiled at all. She had issued the order to have them find Zidane, just so that she could know where he was for the time being, but in a way, she already knew. It was a place that he would go to visit old friends and be able to be away from everyone else, and while the sadness that he had almost ate him alive, he never had to cry because the Heaven's always did it for him.  
  
This was one of the few things that she managed to learn about him before he had left. No one knew how long it would be before he would decide to come back, but she wasn't worried. She had expected this of him anyway. She knew he would run because it was the only way that he could deal with his pain, as he had said. She didn't really understand it, but then again she knew that everyone had his or her own different methods on dealing with what had just happened and running away was his.  
  
She reached her hand into the crib that was right beside where she was sitting and gently stroked the soft blonde hair of her little brother. He had been sleeping most of the day and wasn't conscious of what had been happening. After all, he was only a week old. He had dark brown eyes like Garnet, yet he didn't receive her horn. He did, however, did have the same tail as his father, but unlike Jade's, it was the same sandy brown as his hair, not the dark brown that Jade had. Even though he was just a newborn, he was already starting to show traits of both his parents. He was calmer like Garnet, yet he still thought that everything going around his was amazing and was a very active but not fussy baby.  
  
The doors behind Jade opened with very little sound as Beatrix walked into the room. She looked at Jade with a worried look in her eyes, but Jade didn't even turn around to know that it was her. She just continued to look out the window and softly stroke her brother's hair. "Any word on Zidane yet?" she asked with an even voice showing no emotion. Beatrix closed the door behind her and walked toward the window where, she too, looked out over the city. Without even turning to look down at the young queen, she shook her head and rested both her hands on the windowsill.  
  
"Nothing yet, Your Majesty. We're still looking for him, even though that I know you know where he is." She paused for a moment as if to see if Jade would have responded to that. When only silence greeted her, like she had figured, she continued. "I also know that you are leading our troops in the wrong direction. It's like you're hiding him, and I just wanted to know why. If you know that he needs to help you run this country, since you are Queen until he returns, and it's his job to also help raise his son, why don't you just order them to bring him back?"  
  
Jade lowered her head for a moment as she thought on that comment. She had asked herself that a while ago. In a way, she hated him for leaving her when she needed him the most like he always had done. She hated him for many reasons, most of them she couldn't even remember anymore, but they were there. Finally, she lifted her head to look at Beatrix, only to find her head general staring straight back at her. "I protect him because I understand him."  
  
Jade stood up from where she was sitting and smoothed out the wrinkles of her dress with her hands. Wrapping her tail around her waist, she walked towards the door and simply waved her hand for Beatrix to follow her. Beatrix stood where she was for a moment, trying to figure out what Jade's words had meant, but she just figured that either they would be explained in time or that she would eventually be able to figure it out on her own. Following her queen silently, she eventually found herself out in the courtyard where the two Queens previous to Jade were buried.  
  
Jade brushed her hand over the tombstone of the grandmother that she never knew, and the tombstone of her mother that her little brother would never know. She made it a personal note that she would tell all the stories of her mother to her brother so that in a way even though he would never meet her that it would be as if he had lived with her anyway. She also vowed that her brother would grow up to know what it was like to have a father, unlike she did for most of her life.  
  
Beatrix watched in silence as Jade walked around both tombstones, slowly reading the inscriptions on both, and then placing a small garnet jewel in one of the O's on her mother's grave. She kneeled in front of her mother's grave and just sat in silence. This was the only place that she went other than her mother's room. Beatrix looked at her and finally saw the one part of Jade that was purely like Garnet and nothing at all like Zidane. They mourned differently, and the only difference between when Garnet's mother died and when Garnet died is that Jade still talked, but the way that they grieved was still the same.  
  
Nearly half an hour must have passed that way everyday, but unlike most days, Jade stood up and looked at Beatrix with a serious expression on her face and her maturity shined in her bright green eyes. They both stood without moving, just staring at each other, waiting for the other to speak first. In the end, it was Jade who broke the silence.  
  
"In ten days, I want you to go to Burmicia. If anyone else goes besides Steiner, they might intimidate him, and he might not return. At least give him that much time to take care of himself." Jade looked back at the two graves and let out a soft sigh. "He doesn't need to work right away. I just want him to take care of his son."  
  
Beatrix nodded and walked over to Jade. Placing her hand on her shoulder, she gave it a soft squeeze before turning around to head back to the castle. Jade listened to her footsteps to tell when she had walked out of hearing range before she lifted her finger to her chin. Swiping off the tear that was about to fall, she looked at the small droplet and watched it turn into a crystal with a soft white light surrounded her hand. When in faded, she turned the small crystal around in her hand before resting it on Garnet's tombstone.  
  
Softly, she kissed the crystal before whispering, "I'm learning, Mother. I'm learning…"  
  
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~**Zidane's POV One Week Earlier**~  
  
I don't know how long I've been running, but my legs are refusing to get tired as if they know I have to keep running in order to stay calm. I can hear my heart pumping in my ears, and I can almost feel my blood flowing through my veins. I don't understand how I can be so filled with energy, but if I look in deeper I can almost feel the emptiness that is just waiting to consume me whole. I'm running from that emptiness in a way.  
  
Something is now missing, and I don't know if I can get it back. Wait… I can't get it back, and this is the whole reason why I'm running in the first place. I want to escape that reality that I can't have it back, that I can't have her back. I want her back so badly. I can't believe she left me, but it wasn't even her choice.  
  
She died, and no spell nor item will ever bring her back to me.  
  
My mind isn't quite sure where I'm heading, but I think it's just a natural reaction. Normally I would head out to see Ruby and the rest of the gang when I'm in a jam, but I'm not in a jam. For fuck's sake, my WIFE, my love, my life, my soul mate is dead. They won't be able to fix this. No one will, but still I know that one of my friends can help. She knows what I'm going through, and I think that she can help me. Well… She doesn't know exactly because she still believed that her love was still alive, but Dagger can't come back.  
  
I know that my Dagger is dead.  
  
Rain… I can taste rain sliding down my face. Or are those my tears? I can't tell the difference between the two because, frankly, I just don't care anymore. All those seven long years of waiting, hoping, wishing, and she was taken away from me only after two of the years were made up. I knew something bad was going to happen, but I never expected this. I never wanted this.  
  
Is this what I deserve?  
  
Burmicia… I think that I can let the sky cry for me from now on, but right now I need to find Freya. She'll help me out, give me a place to rest and everything else that I need. Everything except for my beloved Garnet. It's only been a few hours, and already I feel useless and hopeless. I should have treated her better. I should have told her that I loved her before she died. I shouldn't have left the damn castle last night! Fuck! I'm such a bastard! Steiner was right the first time that he told me that I shouldn't be with her.  
  
I'm nothing but a petty thief, and it's all I'll ever be.  
  
So many unanswered questions are running though my head, and I'm wondering if things would have turned out differently if I just spent more time with her. Would she have lived if I never left the castle? What if I tried to get along better with Jade, or helped her out with more of the political roles? Or what if I never caused the reason of her death…  
  
… What if I had never gotten her pregnant again?  
  
I had a feeling that I should have listened to Dr. Tot when he told us that, but I felt that it wasn't that big of a deal. I didn't need to pay that much attention to it because I knew, or I had thought at that time that my Dagger could take any challenge that anyone could ever give her and she would make it out alive. I'm such a blind bastard. I should have known that I was putting her at too much risk.  
  
Falling to my knees when I reached the hallway with all the steps, I placed my hands on the ground and hung my head. My lungs were burning, and I could tell that my legs were starting to get sore after my all out sprint to this city. My whole body was shaking when I took deep laboring breaths, trying to get my body back under control. I had given up, and my body decided that it was time to do the same.  
  
My arms buckled underneath the weight before finally giving in. My upper body fell onto the steps in front of me as I was still trying to catch my breath. I was living in a nightmare. After several minutes of just lying there, my breath was still not under control. In fact, my breathing had turned from deep breaths into sharp gasps. My lungs were burning and my body was still shivering. I felt like dying right then, just dying and joining my beautiful Dagger in Heaven, but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that I couldn't do that. I still had two people back in the castle that needed me, but I didn't care.  
  
I didn't care if I was being selfish and greedy. All I wanted was Dagger and some damn oxygen, but neither were coming to me at the moment. I tried standing up, but I only managed to roll myself onto my back with my wet hair sticking to the sides of my face. My eyes closed and I placed my hand on my neck, feeling my rapid pulse beating within my veins.  
  
And then everything became dark…  
  
~*~  
  
I woke up with a wet towel on my head. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't exactly hot either, indicating that it had been lying there for quite some time. The roof above my head was one that belonged to a house, and if I strained my hearing long enough, I could make out the sound of the rain falling on it. I tried to move some of my muscles, but only a low groan came from my mouth because of the soreness that I felt. I had tired out my body on the way here, and there was no telling on how long I was sleeping.  
  
My hearing picked up the sound of a near by door opening to my left. I didn't have the strength to lift my head to see who it was, but as soon as the person spoke, I had recognized her voice automatically. "Still trying to walk before you can crawl, aren't you Zidane?" she asked in a calm voice before she walked over to my side where I could she her face clearly. Freya still looked the same since I last saw her, and I wasn't surprised when I saw a hint of disapproval when she looked down at me.  
  
Turning my head away, I let out a sigh and tried lifting my arm, only to let out a frustrated moan when all my muscles tensed up after I had tried to complete the action. "The Hell happened, Frey?" I asked in a hoarse voice when I rested all my muscles again. She took the damp compress off my head, and replaced with her hand, I'm assuming to check to see if I had a temperature. Deeming that I was fine, she removed her hand and pulled up a chair next to me.  
  
"Well," she said. "for starters, one of my people found you passed out on the bottom of our city stairs. Since they realized who you were, they brought you to me, when I noticed that you were flush and seemed exhausted, probably since I'm guessing that you were damn foolish enough to try to run the whole way here." At that moment when she gave me a hard look, and I only looked away, she simply shook her head. "You did, didn't you?" Silence. "God, Zidane. What's wrong now? How is Garnet's pregnancy going, or is something wrong with it? Supposedly, she's supposed to either have the baby soon, or she's had it already."  
  
Painful memories shocked my brain as all my muscles tensed up at one thought. "Dagger is dead," I whispered softly, mostly to myself, but Freya must have over heard.  
  
"She what?" she gasped in alarm as she grasped my arm in a way to get my attention. My head whipped around to look at her in the eyes while tears rimmed my own.  
  
"She died, Freya. My Dagger is dead." She didn't say anything after that, slowly soaking in the information that I had just given her. Who knew that one small sentence could hold so much meaning and power to many people all over the world?  
  
"And the child?" she asked suddenly while I was in the process of berating myself once again. This was the moment that I realized that I had almost forgotten all about my two children. I was now the father of both a daughter and a son, and I had left them both there like the bastard father that I am. Fuck, no wonder Jade hates me so much.  
  
"Shit! A son… Dagger bore a son, and I left him and Jade all by themselves. I'm such a fucking jackass!" I hissed as I banged the back of my head against the pillow that it was resting on. Freya placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a concerned look.  
  
Before standing up she calmly said, "You can stay here as long as you need to before you feel that you need to go back, but trust me. Eventually, you do have to go back. As much as I know that you want to sit here and grieve for the rest of your life, there are people that need you to be there for them, not to mention your children. Once you're back in good health and you're on your feet again, you can go home." She turned around to head for the door, only pausing a moment at the door to say one last thing to me. "Don't rush it, Zidane. You need rest."  
  
And then she left.  
  
I stayed in the bed, simply looking up at the ceiling that came into a fine point going towards the sky in the center. A light shade of purple and blue flickered on the way in the same pattern as the candlelight that was moving in the room. It was going to be one of the few things that would be able to calm my nerves for a long time.  
  
That and the soft rain that fell on the roof that I would be sleeping under for the next sixteen days…  
  
  
  
(A/N: I really hope that no one decides to kill me for this, but I decided that Garnet was going to die about a year ago. Wow... It's been more than two years since I started writing this... I am a slow as hell writer! XD Oh well, I've had to deal with writer's block a lot so I would go through months without writing anything, and I thought that I owed it to you all to write a nice long chapter that hopefully none of you were expecting. Anyway, I can finally say that the story is half way done, so you all can expect more. I was happy with this because it's the first time that I've written over 40 pages of a story and didn't get bored with it. R/R. Love you all, bye!) 


	12. A Second Revelation

The first week that Zidane was there, very little had happened. He barely left his room, and ate just enough for him to get by on. Freya stayed by him most of the time, clouding his mind with other thoughts and information about what had been happening recently with her, Fratley, and the rest of her kind. Still there would be moments where Zidane would seem to zone out and just talk about anything and everything that seemed to come to his mind at the moment. Freya sat by him during this time and just listened to him in complete silence.  
  
The silence that she had offered him spoke louder than any words that she could ever put forth. It showed understanding and compassion because she was one of the few people that actually knew what it was like to lose a loved one for long periods of time. Time that would eventually seem like forever, even though he would never be able to get his love back.  
  
He walked and talked more during the end of the week, but still most of the time was spent just simply walking in the rain, letting his thoughts leak out of him as fast as the rain fell. He needed that time to get all his thoughts sorted out because even though he didn't mention this to Freya, he had reoccurring nightmares that would often leave him awake and restless throughout the night.  
  
He dreamt of Garnet's death over and over again. Even though he wasn't actually there when she had died, he still remembered the look on her face. It was hallow, empty, and all the glitter and shine in her eyes had faded. Her skin was pale, yet her cheeks were still flush even though their rosy color was slowly fading to match the rest of the whiteness on her skin. She looked unearthly, and it had frightened him to no end. He never had one of those dreams where she came back as the undead and scolded him for leaving her to die, but instead it would replay over and over again. Maybe as many as ten times in one dream. It was that dream that made him wish that he never knew what the meaning of sleep was.  
  
He was much happier in his days where he would have dreamless sleeps, and his mind would almost be at complete rest, but nightmares were the only things that were able to disturb his almost listless slumber.  
  
Since the nightmares started, he looked thinner and paler himself, as if he was already dead. And in a way, he was. Freya was the only one that had seen him during this time because he wanted to be alone, and most were told to try to avoid him, even though he was already avoiding them. They had known him to be such a strong and willful fighter, but to see him like this, with his almost shattered will, too much commotion would have started, and that was something that wasn't needed. So they just went about their business not paying attention to him at all. Still, there were times that if they did see him, they could do nothing but stare for a mere moment.  
  
Truthfully, that was all they had.  
  
Freya had received letters at the beginning of the week from Jade that told her that Jade knew where he was, and was willing to let him have his time to relax and collect himself. She also stated that she did need him to be prepared to come back since he did have duties and obligations that he still needed to do even after his wife's death. The letter almost literally quoted, 'It was hard on us all, probably Zidane and myself the hardest, but we can't just ignore the rest of the people for this happening. My mother would have liked it better that way.'  
  
Freya knew all about the confrontations that Zidane had with Jade, and she read the letter with a surprised look on her face. Jade's tone was almost completely indifferent and dispassionate, yet she showed understanding for Zidane's suffering and yearning. She figured that no one could really understand that girl, with the exception of Garnet and Zidane if he ever got the chance to know her well enough, but by the way that things were looking, she had highly doubted that.  
  
She told him the contents of the letter at the end of the first week, and he simply nodded understanding everything that Jade was saying, knowing that like her mother, she had put the people first and her personal emotions aside and already started moving ahead. It was impressive for a nine-year-old to be able to do that, but he needed to focus on himself getting his things back together.  
  
But how can one get back on their feet when the ground keeps slipping from underneath them?  
  
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~**Jade's POV, At the End of the Sixteen Days**~  
  
It's been a little over two weeks, but it feels like it's been over two years. The days went by so slowly for me, and yet there was much to be done in that time. We had the funeral for my mother the day after she had died, but I wasn't present at it. I don't know why even though it was my duty. In my eyes, crying in front of a crowd was a sign of weakness. I couldn't afford to have that shown even though it was expected at my age. I needed to be strong for my people and let them know that I was ready to become my mother successor. It wasn't going to be easy, but I knew that it was just something that I had to do.  
  
I knew that whenever Zidane came back, he would still need help running the kingdom even though he is the King. My mother had always taken care of that, and now it was time for the rest of the castle and myself to help him out with this, and all at the same time, not get corrupted by any crazy ideas. It was going to be difficult, and I know that things will probably be rough at first, but I couldn't give up then.  
  
By the end of the sixteenth day was when Zidane came home on his own. I was going to send guards out to get him in a few more days, but I was surprised to see him here early. He looked tired, distressed, yet understanding, and well informed. He knew what was going to happen, and he knew what he was going to have to do about it. The moment that he saw me again, I was sitting in his room that he used to share with my mother, my arms wrapped around my baby brother softly rocking him.  
  
I stared at him the moment that he opened the door, and almost nothing was said. Truthfully, there was nothing really to say. We both had our own things to do and one child and kingdom to take care of. It was enough to put us on an understanding level. It was that way between us for a long time, a very silent understanding where nothing ever had to be said.  
  
He named my brother Kuja that day. Normally I would have argued knowing how much my mother hated the man that he was naming her son after, but I could also tell by the look in his eyes that he had though a lot about this and had a distinct reason on why he chose that name. Therefore, I never really questioned it.  
  
Things moved along slowly after he had come back. I helped him out with all the politics of ruling along with the help of Beatrix that knew more about it than I had realized. I was the one that mostly took care of little Kuja, but Zidane helped out plenty. He spent a lot of time with his son and tried getting to know me better. I still was in my mood of silence, so he never really had the chance to have a long decent conversation with me. I was always busy with other things anyway.  
  
Kuja acted a lot like my mother in many ways, all of which were surprising. He was calm like her, and he seemed to space out like she did, yet he had the quickness and interest in everything around him like Zidane. Zidane loved the child more than he was willing to admit, and I thought at times he loved Kuja more than he loved me. It was something that I could never really see bothering me before, but now it felt as if I was left to fend for myself.  
  
I was really on my own this time.  
  
  
  
(A/N: Yes, I know it's been a while since I've updated. Yes, I realized that I got few reviews on the last chapter. And yes, I realize this is a really short chapter, but there is a reason for that. I decided that I was going to break this into two different stories since making it all one long story wouldn't have made sense. I'm not sure what I'm going to name the next one, but know that this chapter is OFFICALLY the last chapter of DCtHoB. The next story will probably contain the after math of Garnet's death, which means it will be purely about the whole Zidane/Jade relationship. Probably more angsty than this one, and no romance [sorry for all those who liked that] but hopefully those who have stuck with me this far will read the next one. I truly want to thank all of you that reviewed and I'm glad that most of you liked it *^^* - Ni9h7Ki773N) 


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